T20 boost helps ease four-day gloom

FOLLOWING a difficult start to the season, it’s nice to begin this column with some positives after what has been a great opening to our NatWest T20 Blast campaign.

To get wins over Worcestershire Rapids and Notts Outlaws was a real boost for everybody and has given us some momentum to take into this weekend’s home double header at Edgbaston.

Obviously, the Outlaws game was over-shadowed by a sickening injury to Luke Fletcher.

It was a horrible incident and not one anyone likes to see on a cricket field. Thankfully, ‘Fletch’ was given the all-clear and that was the best pos- sible news that we could have heard on Saturday night.

Cricket pales into insignificance when something like that happens and everyone was relieved at the final outcome.

I thought the situation was managed very well by both teams and the umpires. Both sides were shaken by the incident and, had Notts wanted to call the game off, we wouldn’t have any problems with that at all.

As it was, it was decided to have a short break and then look to resume and try to get a full match in which I think was the correct decision.

To secure maximum points was a reward for two very strong team performances and it’s now a case of trying to push on at Edgbaston against Northants Steelbacks tomorrow (Friday) and Leicestershire Foxes on Sunday.

Getting the two wins was even more pleasing after what was a huge disappointment to be edged out by Middlesex the day before at the end of a tight and tense Specsavers County Championship match.

To lose by one wicket is always gutting, particularly in the situation we are in, but I think there were plenty of positives to take from the performance and it demonstrated how close we are as a unit.

Being 47 points adrift from safety makes it extremely difficult for us to stay up but all our members and supporters can be assured we will be giv- ing it absolutely everything between now and the end of the season to pull off a Great Escape.

I was forced to miss through an elbow injury.

It’s a problem I’ve had to manage over the last couple of years and it will be with me until the end of my career.

I was in pain before the game and we thought it was best I sit it out to try and ensure I can play as many games as possible over the rest of the season.

It was great to see the Joe Root era for England start in such impressive fashion.

After an iffy first session, it was a very dominant performance from the team and – while I hope these words don’t come back to haunt me – I that game would be very surprised if South Africa won a game this series.

Finally, for anyone attending tomorrow (Friday) night’s game, it is the nominated charity match for our main T20 sponsors Selco Builders Warehouse.

They are raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support so please give generously to collections happening around the ground and provide your backing to a fantastic cause.