Essex all-rounder Ryan Ten Doeschate thankful for break

Ryan ten Doeschate scored an unbeaten 124 against Gloucestershire in August

Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate says he has benefited from a two-week break from playing cricket in August.

The Netherlands international struggled for runs in the first part of the season, but has hit a century and two 50s since returning.

"I needed to take stock of what I had been doing, I'd obviously got into a few bad habits," the South African-born 31-year-old told BBC Essex.

"There were some fundamental issues with my technique, which I ironed out."

Ten Doeschate scored 55 runs in his first seven County Championship innings of the season, with an average of 7.86.

Since returning from his break in mid-August he has hit 248 at an average of 62.

The all-rounder said that the intensive winter of cricket and stints at the World Cup and the Indian Premier League had affected his form.

"I'll hold my hand up and say that played a major part in the disappointing time I've had back at Essex," he added.

"Obviously Essex is my first club, it's where my heart lies so it's in the interest of my cricket and the impact I can have here that I have a good break [this winter]."

Ten Doeschate added that a chat with Alastair Cook helped turned his fortune around.

"In the darkest time where I really felt like I wasn't going to score another run, he made some good points to me."