Essex all-rounder Graham Napier spoke to the Essex CCC website of his delight to be making a playing comeback this week.

The 28-year-old has missed the opening weeks of the season with a knee injury but is now preparing for his first 2nd XI appearance of the year – against Middlesex at Garon Park from Wednesday (May 7).

Napier told the Essex CCC website of his frustration at being on the sidelines after coming into the new campaign with high hopes.

Essex CCC: First of all, could you explain how your injury came about?

Graham Napier: After being left out of the side for the first (Championship) match I went for a fitness run on the opening day of the season. Unfortunately that was where my tibia-fibular joint became enflamed and I’ve been out ever since.

With competition for places in the seam department as fierce as it has been for years would you agree that it’s important for you to get back in contention as quickly as possible?

The potential for opportunities this season is less with the strength of the squad in the seam department so it is important to get myself back to bowling and batting as quickly as possible to push for a place in the one-day and the Championship side.

So, after the frustration comes some light at the end of the tunnel for you.

Indeed. I’m delighted to be making my return at Garon Park (in a combined 2nd XI team with Kent) against Middlesex. This is an opportunity to rediscover the form I had in pre-season and test out my knee in match conditions in order to push for a place in the Friends Provident match at the Brit Oval (on Sunday May 11).

Having wintered well in New Zealand (playing one-day state cricket for Wellington) this must have been a particularly bad time to pick up an injury.

My form and confidence had come together at the end of my New Zealand trip over the winter and then continued on Essex’s pre-season trip to the Emirates. After coming home, my form still felt good in the warm-up game against Worcestershire so, yes, it was a particularly bad time to get injured.

In general, though, being injured is as bad as it gets being a professional sportsman. With the second team at Garon Park last week and the firsts at Derby it gave me time to reflect on missing out on playing.