LIAM Dawson says he has fallen back in love with cricket during his Essex loan spell – but is not sure if it will be extended.

The 25-year-old, who is on a one-month deal, made 99 in this week’s LV County Championship win against Glamorgan.

He has 169 runs at 56.3 and has also impressed with the ball (four wickets at 18.2), since asking to go on loan when he was dropped by Hampshire.

“I am absolutely loving my time here,” he told the Brentwood Gazette. “It has been brilliant and I am delighted to be back playing all forms of cricket.

“I couldn’t have gone into a better changing room, one that has made me feel so welcome.

“There are some good lads here and I have really enjoyed it.

“A change of scenery and a change of team means that I am really enjoying playing my cricket again and going out there to play and train every day.

“It was my decision, as I don’t want to be playing second-team cricket.

“I want to be playing first-team cricket as much as I can and I believe that I should be doing that.

“I offer a lot with both bat and ball. I probably haven’t bowled as much as I should have done at Hampshire, but hopefully here I can get a lot of overs and be a big part of the team.

“I am just enjoying playing cricket and have probably got the love of playing the game again, which is really good.”

Essex are likely to want Dawson until the end of the season, but the former England Under-19 captain said: “I honestly don’t know what will happen after the month. That is up to the two clubs and I guess it depends what Hampshire want to do.

“It’s probably not my choice at the minute.”

Dawson is available for Essex’s last two NatWest T20 Blast South Group games, at home to Middlesex tonight and Kent next week.