James Kettleborough had plenty to mull over as he undertook the 200-mile drive from Norfolk on Sunday night.
The Staffordshire captain had just seen his side be outplayed in all disciplines on their way to an eight-wicket defeat by the East Anglians on the outskirts of Norwich.
That put paid to the extremely slim chance Staffs had of qualifying from Group Two of the NCCA Knockout Trophy.
But the fact a miracle didn’t happen in terms of qualification was the least of Kettleborough’s concerns as he travelled back from Sprowston.
The manner of Staffs’ defeat would have been more alarming for Kettleborough as their 50-over hopes were ended at the group stage for the third successive season.
Staffs had actually started this year’s campaign brightly when they beat Herefordshire, but they were then on the wrong end of a high-scoring encounter against Suffolk.
A comprehensive defeat followed at Shropshire before the programme finished in dismal fashion with another poor performance at Norfolk.
The three-and-a-half hour drive back would normally be a bit of a drag, but given the amount of thoughts running through his head, it might not have been enough time for Kettleborough to find all the answers.
‘Feeling the pain’
Kettleborough says that he does take results to heart when things go fall Staffs’ way – but he is determined to lead from the front to improve the county’s outcomes.
“The results do affect me as captain of the side,” said Kettleborough. “The game judges you and spits out what you put in. Self reflection is part of that pressure.
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“I enjoy being a senior player and the responsibility that comes with it. Any pressure that comes with that is a privilege when you are representing the county.
“The lads rely on me to put in performance, and it’s disappointing that I’ve not done that consistently for them. We all have to accept responsibility – but I always take things personally when we don’t win.”
‘Shine on a Saturday’
Kettleborough is also looking for his squad to churn out performances at club level to take confidence into the NCCA arena.
Staffordshire’s players have not truly hit the heights on a Saturday afternoon for their clubs. And the county captain wants that to change Staffs’ fortunes in the long run.
“We always consider what players there are and the options available to us,” he added. “There’s been even more scrutiny on that over the last couple of weeks. We’ve always come to the conclusion that the players in the team are the best options for us.
“But we have to consider options and what is best for the county moving forward.
“I think it’s all to do with confidence and Saturday club cricket is a great opportunity for the players to do that.
“Looking at our stats, not too many batters are churning our runs and the bowlers are not taking lots of wickets.
“Tom Moulton is an example of a player doing well in club cricket and being given his chance. We try to take the pressure off the players and keep relaying the message they have to trust their ability.”
‘Twenty20 focus’
Kettleborough is now targeting a revival of fortunes when Staffordshire commence their Twenty20 Cup campaign this weekend with a Group One double header against Northumberland at Allendale.
Staffs have done well in the format in recent years – winning it in 2023 for the first time and then reaching finals day last summer.
But regardless of what happens, Kettleborough wants his players do display pride and passion when they have the Knot on their chest.
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“The T20s is a format we’ve done well in over the past couple of seasons and hopefully we can draw confidence from that,” explained Kettleborough. “It’s a clean slate and it might be what we need.
Hopefully we can go to Northumberland and play some exciting cricket.
“There’s pride in representing the county, especially with the history of the club and the players who have gone before us.
“Every chance to pull on the Staffordshire shirt should be exciting. We want to show what we’re capable of, but it hasn’t happened so far this season and we’ve got to reset.”
‘Squad changes’
Staffordshire have named a youthful squad for the trip to Northumberland.
Experienced batsman Michael Hill has opted to sit out the Twenty20 Cup this summer, while spinner Tom Brett is unavailable.
There is a potential debut for Stone SP seamer Ed Batchelor, who has carried out 12th man duties for the first team.
Hem Heath’s Callum Leese is in the squad after previously playing in the 50-over format. Audley’s Jack Redman is also named in the travelling party.
In the absence of Hill and Brett, skipper James Kettleborough, seamer Liam Hurt and batsman Matthew Morris are the most experienced NCCA players in the squad.
‘Nils’ T20 time’
Staffordshire will be hoping for some more T20 fireworks from Checkley all-rounder Nils Priestley.
Priestley was instrumental in Staffs being crowned T20 champions in 2023.
He impressed throughout the tournament before making a sparkling 147 not out in the semi-final success against Berkshire at Tring Park – and then made a crucial half-century in the final victory over Cornwall.
Shropshire, Cumbria and Cheshire are the other sides in Staffordshire’s Twenty20 Cup group this summer.
Staffordshire (from): James Kettleborough (cpt, Checkley), Sam Atkinson (Moddershall & Oulton), Ed Batchelor (Stone SP), Callum Hawkins (Moddershall & Oulton), Rory Haydon (Leek), Liam Hurt (Flixton), Callum Leese (Hem Heath), Matt Morris (Burslem), Tom Moulton (Leek), Nils Priestley (Checkley), Jack Redman (Audley), Rohan Vallabhaneni (Newcastle & Hartshill).
Main image: James Kettleborough takes his Staffordshire side to Northumberland this weekend. Picture: David Peters