Andy Carr wants his Staffordshire side to be the ones to steal a march in this weekend’s round of NCCA Championship Division One East matches.
Staffs make the trip to Cleethorpes to play Lincolnshire for their second three-day assignment of the summer.
And the division is evenly poised, with all matches to date having ended in draws.
Staffordshire have a game in hand after sitting out the last round of encounters.
So while Suffolk take on Bedfordshire in the other meeting in the section, Staffordshire are intent on dealing with their own business.
It’s going to be a testing few days, though, with Staffs searching for their first Championship win in Lincolnshire since 1992.
But head coach Carr is confident his players can buck that trend and extend his winning sequence on the road.
In his first season in charge in 2023, Carr led the county to victories in both three-day away matches at Suffolk and Norfolk.
‘Hard work’
“It can be tougher on the road with the travelling and there are uncontrollables as well,” said Carr.
“You have to take the track into consideration and realise that not all of the lads will have played there before.
“There’s lots of dilemmas that can come to fruition, but we are backing ourselves.
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“It’s another game of cricket for us and we want to give a good account of ourselves.”
And breaking that 32-year wait for a win in Lincs would be ideal to push them firmly into the mix to challenge for the divisional title.
‘Winning memories’
Staffs do have a good record at Cleethorpes, though, winning encounters there in 1969 and most recently in 1981.
In that match, former president David Hancock and current incumbent Nick Archer joined forces to execute a run chase which resulted in a three-wicket win.
“Someone will kick on eventually in the division and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be us,” added Carr.
“We’re going to Lincolnshire to play positive cricket. We’ve got good strength in both the batting and bowling.
“I firmly believe we can come away with the full points if we play to our potential.
“That would then stand us in good stead for the match against Suffolk at Stafford next month.”
‘Hilly is back’
The experienced Michael Hill returns to bolster the batting unit after sitting out the draw with Bedfordshire at Checkley, which started off Staffs’ red-ball commitments.
And Hill has fine memories of playing at Chichester Road after recording back-to-back hundreds on Staffs’ last visit there in 2022.
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“It’s great to have Hilly back, not just for his experience, but also the quality he brings,” explained Carr.
“He will have good memories of Cleethorpes and that will be in the back of his mind.
“If you’re going to a venue having got a pair, that’s not ideal. So the confidence he will have from scoring big runs there will no doubt help him.”
‘Rested up’
Carr also believes that sitting out the last round of Championship matches will have been beneficial to his side.
A hectic season has given little chance for players to recharge – but Carr says the week off will have recharged bodies and minds.
“We’ve spoken at length about how we’ve played a lot of cricket,” said Carr.
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“It’s been stop-start with the weather, but the lads have played plenty of Saturdays and Sundays, whether it be for club or county.
“It was good to have that break and some of the players managed to get abroad for a bit of a holiday.
“That means we can go to Cleethorpes with a good mindset and also taking the positives from the one-and-a-half days of cricket we managed to get in at Checkley.”
‘Bowlers shine’
Staffordshire’s bowlers were in impressive form in that rain-affected draw with Bedfordshire.
Rory Haydon and Liam Hurt shared all 10 wickets to fall, while debutant Jacob Garlick and all-rounder Tom Moulton fulfilled their duties admirably.
Carr, though, would like to see a bit more from the batting department to provide a solid platform – as well as securing key bonus points.
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“The bowling at Checkley was outstanding,” added Carr. “Rory was superb, as was Liam. Garlo (Jacob Garlick) had a few first-game nerves but he bowled really well and Tom didn’t do himself any harm either.
“Batting wise, it’s a matter of taking the opportunities which present themselves and holding your nerve.
“The lads will want to put in a performance and they are capable of that.
“The players we’ve selected have to back themselves and with a little bit of luck they can shine. On the last visit to Cleethorpes it was a flat track, but we believe we have enough about us to win the match.”
Main image: Staffordshire head coach Andy Carr takes his side to Lincolnshire this weekend. Picture: Alfie Shenton
