Chris Milward says he wants to see some key Staffordshire habits on display once again in this weekend’s NCCA Championship game at Suffolk.
Staffs make the long trip to Copdock for the second instalment of their Division One East campaign having opened their title defence with a seven-wicket victory over Lincolnshire at Checkley.
However, Staffordshire were forced to dig deep into their reserves to eventually secure the win after a disappointing opening day.
They had bowled out Lincs for 246, but then tumbled to 159-8 by the time stumps were drawn.
Staffs fought back, thanks to stand-in captain Michael Hill’s 93 not out, to ensure that their first-innings deficit was just 28 runs.
Lincolnshire were dismissed for 263 second time around, leaving the hosts needing 292 for the points… and they managed to wrap up matters by tea on the third day.
That was largely down to Matt Morris’ unbeaten 113, 87 not out from Hill, and Tom Moulton’s 50.
‘Key traits’
Coach Milward says the traits displayed by the squad will need to be on show once again when they take on Suffolk.
“In a game that ebbed and flowed the experience was good on the whole,” said Milward.
“I was really chuffed with the way we bounced back after the first day. We left on Sunday not overly pleased with how we had performed.
“There was an honest conversation on Monday morning between the players, which was great to see.
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“It was a case of good old-fashioned hanging in there. There were some great individual performances, not least by the captain, who showed his class.
“The bowlers also turned the game in their second innings. I just saw us hanging in much better in the second innings and we made it harder for Lincs to score.
“It takes patience, skill and also presence of mind to be able to do that. It was a bit different from the first day where we struggled after lunch and missed some opportunities.”
‘Firm foundations’
Staffordshire took 21 points out of a possible 24 from that opening encounter to leave them top of the table.
It was the ideal start in the four-game red-ball season, but Milward is aware that the result was merely a platform to build on.
“It’s about as good as we could have hoped for, especially after Sunday,” he admitted.
“You can’t win the division after the first game, but you can certainly leave yourselves on the back foot.
“It’s not just about looking at the result, it’s about what the players did and being able to build on that.
“There’s things to improve. I think it’s continuing to stay level headed – not getting too up or too down – and not backing off when times get tough.
“You’re not going to have three days when everything goes your way. Sometimes it’s about nailing the basics and finding that consistency, which is what we managed to do from the second day onwards against Lincs.
“It’s not always about going into the details of plans, but it’s more about coping with the mental challenges which three-day cricket throws at you.
“We saw some really good signs and consistency, but we know Suffolk are a really good side, as they proved when we played them in the Knockout Trophy.”
‘Individual excellence’
Staffordshire’s batsmen may have completed the run chase on Tuesday afternoon, but there were other fine performances throughout the three days.
Young seamers Sam Atkinson and Jacob Garlick particularly impressed.
Atkinson picked up his maiden NCCA five-wicket haul in Lincolnshire’s first innings, while Garlick bowled quickly and caused problems for the batsmen.
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Morris then ended his six-year wait for a second Championship century to spearhead Staffordshire’s run to the winning line.
“It means so much to Sam,” added Milward. “He wears his heart on his sleeve and you can tell how much it means to him to play for Staffordshire.
“Garlo was exceptional and in the second innings he bowled really quickly and created a lot of chances for him and us. He was superb. His spell changed the course of things.
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“Liam (Hurt) and Bretty (Tom Brett) are the two experienced bowlers, but it doesn’t always have to be them who perform, so it was good to see Atko and Garlo bowl like that.
“Matty has worked hard over the winter about being in tune with what the game needs from him.
“He knew how important he was to the chase, and he did exactly what he needed to do.”
‘Captain returns’
Staffordshire have made one change to the side which was on duty at Checkley.
Captain James Kettleborough, who missed that match following the birth of son Ollie, returns in place of Amir Khan.
“It’s right that we check and challenge each other when it comes to selection,” said Milward.
“Ketts has to come back in and we’ve got a crop of lads who know what it means to play for Staffordshire.
“You don’t just measure what they bring to the county in terms of runs and wickets, it’s other intangibles.
“There’s also lads who have come through the pathway and help to bring something different to the side.”
Main image: Staffordshire head to Suffolk this weekend for their latest NCCA Championship Division One East assignment. Picture: David Peters