James Kettleborough has urged Staffordshire’s players to ensure they remember their NCCA Twenty20 Cup finals day experience for all the right reasons.
Staffs are heading to the showpiece day in the National Counties Cricket Association short format for the third time in four years this weekend.
They make the trip to Wormsley alongside Bedfordshire, Berkshire and Devon – with all counties having eyes on returning to their respective homes with the prize.
Staffordshire won the competition for the first time in their history in 2023 and also reached the abandoned finals day 12 months later.
They fell at the Super 12s stages last summer, but have now reached the final throes of the competition this season.
And after putting in the hard yards to win their group and then comfortably beat Lincolnshire in the Super 12s, skipper Kettleborough says Sunday’s opportunity at the Getty Estate is one not to be squandered.
‘Make it memorable’
“We’re really excited for the day and we know we’ve got a strong squad with plenty of talent,” said Kettleborough.
“It’s a great chance for a few of the lads to stick their hands up and grasp this particular opportunity.
“You look at the performance we put in against Lincs and it was almost complete – that’s what we have to do again.
“Days like this can be really big and it’s one that you want to be a part of.
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“But they are only special days if you come away with the trophy, otherwise they can be easily forgotten.
“It’s up to us to make sure that the memories of this weekend do last.”
Staffordshire will kick off proceedings in the first semi-final, at 10am, against Bedfordshire.
That is followed by the Berkshire v Devon semi-final early in the afternoon before the two victors battle it out for the silverware later in the day.
Bedfordshire upset the form book in the Super 12s as they defeated Shropshire and then beat defending champions Norfolk on their own patch.
‘Tough clash’
So Kettleborough, facing his former county, insists it’s a tough assignment for his players to negotiate.
“Bedfordshire have a bit of a different squad to the one we faced earlier in the season in the Trophy,” he explained.
“There’s some names we are familiar with as well and they’ve done brilliantly to get to finals day.
“I think they were the only side not hosting the Super 12s to make it through to this stage, so they’re going to be a handful.
“We spoke about the advantage of being at home in the Super 12s – and we made the most of it, but Bedfordshire qualified the hard way.
“It’s an early start for us at 10am, so we’re not going to be quite sure what the conditions mare like or how the wicket plays.
“But if we can make it through, it would give us the chance to recharge before the final – if we get there.”
‘Selection’
Staffordshire have named a 12-man squad for the day.
That includes five players – Kettleborough, Tom Brett, Liam Hurt, Nils Priestley and Sam Atkinson – who were part of the 2023 winning side.
Dan Lincoln, who was on the receiving end of Priestley’s sparkling 147 not out that day while playing for Berkshire, is also in the Staffs squad.
There is no place for Matt Morris, though, in the travelling party, despite him scoring 125 in the recent Championship draw with Suffolk at Stafford.
“It does help that we have players in the squad who have experience of what the day is all about,” added Kettleborough.
“But on the flip side, there’s lads who will have no pre-conceived ideas about it and can just turn up and treat it as a normal day of cricket.
“It’s a nice blend for us to have to take down to Wormsley.
“We’ve got huge strength in depth and there’s a number of ways we can go in selecting our final XI.
“We’ll have a look at conditions when we get there and then make a call on which way to go.
“Matt (Morris) misses out. He’s not 100 per cent fit and we felt, as a leadership group, that it was too much of a risk given the demands of T20 cricket.
“But that just creates an opportunity for someone else to come into the side for the day.”
Staffordshire (from): James Kettleborough (cpt, Checkley), Dan Lincoln (High Wycombe), Nils Priestley (Checkley), Sam Atkinson (Moddershall), Sam Keeling-Wright (Old Hill), Reeve Evitts (Wolverhampton), Liam Hurt (Leyland), Joe Hawkins (Moddershall), Jake Garlick (Moddershall), Tom Brett (Finedon Dolben), Ollie Walker (Himley), Callum Hawkins (Moddershall).
Main image: James Kettleborough leads Staffordshire into NCCA T20 Cup finals day. Picture: Pete Stonier