So today's blog is short notice, for which I apologise, but I had to mark a crucial game with advance comment. By my reckoning, two wins from the last four should see us qualify, in a season where no side has really broken away.
A factor in our success this year has been consistency in selection. We have only used twelve players in the Blast and ten are ever-present, Alex Hughes for Harry Came the only change. In addition, in no match have we conceded double figures in extras, which speaks volume for the accuracy of bowling, quality of wicket-keeping and intensity of fielding. It makes a big difference.
Those figures come from David Griffin and I suspect that when we bat there have been fewer dot balls, which ensures we maximise the value of the 120 balls. Three batsman (Du Plooy, McKiernan and Watt) are averaging over 150 per hundred balls, faced, only Hayden Kerr of the top eight less than 138. Meanwhile Watt, Hughes and McKiernan are going for less than eight an over, so the reasons for success are clear.
I expect no change tonight, though Came, Thomson and Dal are in the squad alongside the eleven who so handsomely beat Warwickshire.
We will be wary of Chris Lynn and Josh Cobb at the top of the order, both in stellar form, but we are playing as a team now.
Can tonight be a record fifth win in a row?
I think so.
What about you?
Play as we have and we could and possibly should win. It's the way they should be thinking and whilst it's not what we used to there's clearly a change of mentality inside the club. It might take a while longer for ours' to change!
ReplyDeleteOne of the pleasing things in this T20 campaign is that, in general, we have score quickly from the start, thanks to Masood setting the tone, and we haven't conceded many dot balls in an innings. Our bowling unit has performed extremely well. If one of them leaks runs in an over, someone else will stem the flow. I agree, Steve, two wins from the last four games should do it. I think we have what it takes to beat Northants tonight and Notts on Thursday.
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