The result may not have been ideal, but Warwickshire will not have been dissatisfied with their progress at the end of the two-day warm-up game against Gloucestershire.

Though Warwickshire lost by 73 on first innings, this game was never all about winning or losing. Several players came on visibly for the workout and it will matter not a jot about this if Warwickshire start with a win against Lancashire next week.

Yet, while it would be wrong to read too much into this result, neither would it be wise to ignore it completely. Gloucestershire's bowling was, generally, tighter than Warwickshire's, while their fielding had more intensity. A pitch that looked full of runs when Warwickshire bowled looked far less appetising when they batted - a familiar refrain from last year - and one or two play-ers are still well short of top form.

An impressive innings from Tim Ambrose (89) and a merry stand of 84 for the tenth-wicket between Dale Steyn (54) and Naqaash Tahir (27) were the stand-out performances, but there were also pleasing contributions from Darren Maddy (36) and Alex Loudon (54). Ambrose was especially impressive. At 191 for seven (in reply to Gloucester-shire's 439 for four declared) Warwickshire were facing a heavy first-innings defeat.

Yet Ambrose, compact at first, but increasingly positive, batted both sensibly and attractively and suggested he could be a very important player this season.

Heath Streak (32) lent steadfast support, before Naqaash and Steyn launched a remarkable counter attack. At once stage Steyn thrashed 28 in five balls (six, six, six, four and six) off the hapless Vikram Banerjee - a former Warwickshire youth player - showing a wonderfully bucolic method. In all his 33-ball innings contained five sixes, mostly over long on, and five fours.

Naqaash lost nothing by comparison. His two sixes and three fours were far more cultured and reminded on-looker just what a talented all-round cricketer he is.

Earlier Maddy impressed as an opening batsman. He has not scored a championship century as opener since 2000, but here he was severe on anything short, pulling and cutting with authority until offering a return catch.

It doesn't take too long in Maddy's company to see why Warwickshire were so impressed by him. His positive spirit will, to some extent anyway, offset the loss of Nick Knight, but it is his runs that the side need more than anything.

The only negative side to his innings yesterday was his part in the run out of Ian Westwood for 19.

Jim Troughton (31) slashed to point, Michael Powell (eight) edged to slip and Luke Parker (nought) was leg before despite taking such a large stride forward that he would have required a bus ride to return to his crease.

But Loudon batted beau-tifully. Timing the ball deliciously sweetly through the off-side, he raced to run-a-ball half-century.

Loudon's day took an even brighter turn with the news that he had been called-up for the MCC team to play the champion county, Sussex, in the first game of the season starting at Lord's tomorrow. Loudon replaces the unfortunate Will Jefferson, who missed almost the whole of last season with a wrist injury and has now pulled a hamstring.

The call-up is further evidence of the high regard the England selectors have for Loudon and provides another opportunity for him to impress. With James Dalrymple failing to cement a place in England's oneday squad, the door is ajar for Loudon.

He is frank in his assessment of last season. A championship batting average of 21 and bowling average of 40 was a poor return for one so gifted and he sometimes cut a forlorn figure.

"I was all over the place last season," he admits. "I didn't know what my bowling was about. I had zero confidence and I was desperate to bowl well. I tried really hard. When you're struggling with your game but desperate to perform it can get on top of you a bit.

"I worked on my bowling so much that perhaps it was a distraction from my batting. I know I wasn't batting well and in the end my confidence just evaporated.

"This season I'll be more relaxed. Perhaps I lost sight of things last summer. Instead of positive affirmations I got in the habit of negative affirmations. It's like Steve Waugh said: we all have weak and strong voices in our head and those that do best are the ones that drown out the weak ones."

Loudon credits England Academy coach Peter Moores, who led the A team to Bangladesh in the winter, for his refreshed outlook.

"He was brilliant," Loudon says. "He's good technically, but even better at helping you find that special ingredient that helps you let the talent out."

Perhaps the real breakthrough, however, might prove to be the work Loudon undertook with spin bowling coaches Terry Jenner and David Parsons in the weeks before that tour. As John Inverarity used to say 'competence breeds confidence' and Loudon's lack of belief stemmed from a lack of understanding of his art.

"I tried everything last year and didn't really know where I was with my bowling. So about three weeks before the Bangladesh tour David and Terry started to completely overhaul my bowling. We've kept things very simple. I only run up five yards and feel much more balanced at the crease.

"Now, for the first time really, I think I've a technique with which I'm happy. Now it's just a question of grooving it. In six months I really feel I'll have it nailed.

"Maybe I have been bowling quite slowly, but I feel I can bowl a quicker off that same run. It's about the same as Shane Warne's after all."

Loudon looks certain to start in the Warwickshire side. The results of the scan on Ashley Giles' hip were "inconclusive", but he is unlikely to figure in the championship side to play Lancashire on Wednesday.