James Kettleborough insists every little contribution matters as Staffordshire continue their NCCA Twenty20 Cup campaign this weekend.
Staffordshire welcome Shropshire to Burslem for the next instalment of their Group One double headers on Sunday.
Staffs, who won the competition in 2023 and also reached finals day last summer, opened up this year’s offering with a win and a defeat against Northumberland at Allendale.
Kettleborough’s men lost the first encounter by 10 wickets, but rallied superbly in game two to walk away with a victory.
And skipper Kettleborough says that picking up more short-form victories relies on everyone chipping in – however big or small their contribution.
“If you look at the scorecard from the second game at Northumberland, from the outside it doesn’t look as though someone put in a really big match-winning effort,” said Kettleborough.
“But digging deeper, everyone played their part. Whether that was people making 20 or 30 with the bat, bowling a couple of tight overs and saving five or 10 runs in the field.
“Those small things all make a massive difference and everybody contributed in some form or another.
“There were lots of positives to take from that game and we want to continue that momentum this weekend.
“It would be great if we can put in a couple of really strong performances at Burslem.”
‘In the know’
Staffordshire have already played Shropshire this summer, losing out in a Knockout Trophy contest at Shifnal.
Kettleborough says that can help with planning ahead of the weekend’s encounters.
And although a couple of wins would be nice from a Staffordshire perspective, the county captain insists there will be plenty of time to put things right if the matches don’t go to plan.
“Shropshire probably go under the radar a little bit in terms of being one of the strongest sides at NCCA level,” explained Kettleborough.
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“They are really strong and in the Trophy game earlier in the season they went very big on spin.
“We have a bank of knowledge about them and how they play the game.
“It would be fantastic if we can walk away with two wins this weekend, but it’s going to be a tough challenge.
“And given the nature of the competition this season, where three sides qualify from each group for the Super 12s, there’s more opportunities.
“We have to remember that there’s still four matches to play after the Shropshire games to try to qualify.”
‘Plenty to ponder’
Staffordshire have an abundance of options in their side with both bat and ball.
Kettleborough insists that is a fine position to be in as captain – and admits that fresh faces being introduced into the squad have also helped.
Callum Leese and Jack Redman both made their first NCCA appearances of the season in the Northumberland double header.
“We do have so many options with the bat, but the message to the players is still to take responsibility,” added Kettleborough.
“It is reassuring, though, to know that if we do lose a couple of early wickets, we do have depth in the batting.
“In the second game at Northumberland, we lost Nils Priestley first ball, but Callum Hawkins and Matthew Morris then batted really well.
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“With the bowling it poses a different type of challenge as a captain with having so many people you can turn to.
“But it’s also good that I can throw the ball to someone for one or two overs at any given time.
“Callum Leese and Jack Redman are two good examples of that. Jack is mature beyond his years and really thinks about his cricket.
“He can do a really good job with the ball and also float from six to eight in the batting line-up.
“Callum can also be thrown the ball and has firepower with the bat. He’s also exceptional in the field.
“So having some fresh faces in the squad really does help.”
‘Squad news’
Staffordshire have named a 12-man squad for this weekend’s matches against Shropshire.
All-rounders Liam Banks and Reeve Evitts, plus left-arm spinner Tom Brett, all return after missing the trip to Northumberland.
“It was a really difficult selection meeting for us considering the performance we put in during the second game at Allendale,” said Kettleborough.
“But it’s refreshing to welcome players of the quality of Liam, Bretty and Reeve back into the squad.
“It creates a headache, but those are the types of selection headaches you want.
“It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for us to whittle the available players down to a squad of 12.”
Main image: Staffordshire County Cricket Club captain James Kettleborough is targeting two wins in the NCCA Twenty20 Cup this weekend. Picture: David Peters