CARTLEDGE URGES STAFFORDSHIRE TO INCREASE PRESSURE IN T20 MISSION
DAVE Cartledge insists Staffordshire still have a fighting chance of qualifying from their NCCA Twenty20 Cup group.
Staffs head up to Carlisle on Sunday to face Cumbria, needing two wins to have any hope of topping Group One and reaching finals day later this month.
Staffordshire are in second, two points behind leaders Cheshire, who are also on the road as they visit Northumberland.
Cheshire will be strong favourites to keep hold of top spot as they face a Northumberland side who have lost five of their six matches.
However, director of cricket Cartledge believes that there could be a final-day twist in the race to reach Tring Park on Sunday, May 22.
“I’m used to us having something to play for, but we are the outsiders to win it and I don’t like that. I would prefer to be favourites,” he said.
“We’ve got to rely on Cheshire slipping up, but also need to make sure that we win both of our games, which I feel we are capable of doing.
“Northumberland have got a win in them. They have a couple of dangerous batsmen who probably haven’t quite clicked yet.
“So hopefully that will happen for them against Cheshire. They are also not the worst bowling side.
“We beat them twice at Porthill Park on the first weekend, but they have something about them.”
Staffordshire shared the points with Cheshire in their double header at Leek last weekend.
That means Staffs have four wins and two defeats on their record, which is a marked improvement on their past performances in the National Counties Cricket Association short format.
They have gone with a more youthful look to the side this summer in T20 matches - and Cartledge says he has seen positive signs.
“I think we have made progress, without a doubt. What we have tried to do has worked,” added Cartledge.
“The position we are in at the minute could be better, but that is our own fault.
“We lost the second game against Shropshire when we were well in front of their score. We should have won that and that would have set this weekend up a treat.
“A lot of things have impressed me. We look very good in the field and have bowled very well.
“The spinners have done brilliantly, while Grant Thornton produced a great spell in the second game against Cheshire (5-12).
“With the bat we’ve lost wickets in clusters, which is something we need to eradicate, but overall things have improved.
“We used up 50-odd dot balls in the first game against Northumberland, but against Cheshire we were down to 30-odd, which is pleasing.”
Staffordshire stick with the same side which played against Cheshire last weekend as they head up the M6 to Carlisle.
Cartledge says giving younger players their chance at the expense of the likes of Peter Wilshaw, Michael Hill, Tim Maxfield and Paul Byrne, is with one eye on the future.
“You could argue that we would be stronger if we included some more senior players,” said Cartledge. “But we are looking to the future a little bit. The side we have at the minute is capable of playing for two or three years.
“We also want to succeed this year, though. Hopefully we can get the two wins this weekend and put a bit of pressure on Cheshire.
“If we can beat Cumbria once or twice that would be good for our season moving forward, regardless of whether we go through.
“I feel as though we’re in a different position now than we have been in the past.
“People look as though they are enjoying playing this particular format which is great to see.”
Staffs: Zen Malik (cpt, Burslem), Riki Wessels (Longton), Alex Mellor (Leek), Louis Allison (Porthill), Jack Redman (Audley), Mahaaz Ahmed (Leek), Tom Hope (Longton), Spencer Byatt (Nantwich), Sam Wisniewski (Pudsey), Alex Coates (Longton), Grant Thornton (Berkswell).