Nicholas issues Storm warning as champions warm to their task

DEFENDING champions Western Storm may be top of the Kia Super League standings, but their rivals are still making the mistake of underestimating them.

So says Claire Nicholas, the Welsh spinner who played such an integral role in helping Storm win the KSL in 2017.

Written off in some quarters after making a poor start last season, the West Country side staged a magnificent five-match winning run to claim the title for the first time, beating Southern Vipers in the final at Hove.

Despite that triumph, Nicholas feels she and her colleagues have still to receive the recognition usually champions.

She said: “There was a lot of talk about some of the other teams during the winter and spring and we seemed to go under the radar a bit.

“Some of the others made high-profile signings and received a lot of attention.

“They were prepared to talk themselves up in a way that we don’t.

“We won it last year, but it still feels as though we’re underdogs.”

That status suits Nicholas, inset, and her colleagues just fine.

She smiled: “I’m Welsh – I’ve been an underdog all of my life!

“We like it that way, because it gives us an opportunity to prove people wrong.”

Any critics who might have been tempted to dismiss Storm’s prospects following defeat to Surrey Storm at Cheltenham last month were quickly disabused of the idea as Heather Knight’s side responded with a sixmatch winning streak to take over top spot and qualify for finals day.

And Nicholas believes the team has yet to peak and produce it’s best performance.

She warned: “We’ve not quite fired on all cylinders so far. That’s exciting when you consider we can still get better.

“We’ve been close to producing the perfect performance on a few occasions, but know there are still areas in which there is room for improvement. It’s all about building momentum and peaking at the right time and, hopefully, we are saving our best for finals day.”

Having already booked their place at Hove on August 27, Storm are intent upon finishing top of the group and avoiding the necessity of playing a semi-final.

Indian batsman Smriti Mandhana may have grabbed the headlines after taking the competition by storm this season, but Nicholas has again excelled with the new ball.

She added: “It’s tough as a spinner bowling in the power-play, but you have to be brave and stick to your game-plan. It’s all about aiming for the top of off stump and hoping that the catches stick and that you can get a stumping or two.

“I feel more comfortable in the role this season and, so far, things have gone pretty well for me.”