FOR everyone at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, July means one thing. T20. It is a competition that is very close to our hearts, and a competition we have had great success in over the past few years.
Regardless of form or performances, on a T20 night we know we can beat anyone, and that has a lot to do with the atmosphere in and around the ground.
When the stands are filled and there are fans in the hospitality boxes having a good time, there’s always a sense of excitement and a real buzz in the ground. The fans know we thrive in T20 fixtures and that really motivates us. I think it is fair to say that the fans were our secret weapon in 2016 and 2013.
With our first T20 home fixture coming against Leicestershire, we really want to make the most of that home advantage, and the fans will play an important part in that. It has been a topsy-turvy kind of year so far, but we believe in ourselves and with a packed stadium behind us, anything can happen. We said we want to challenge in all three formats this year, and after a difficult start to our season, the T20 has become much more important.
It wasn’t the start we wanted, but if anything, we have a lot to prove now. As I mentioned, we had a disappointing start to our County Championship and Royal London One Day Cup campaigns, but that is behind us now, and the boys are really looking forward to getting the T20 season under way.
I have already touched on how much we love the T20, and with our history in the competition and our new signings, we believe we have a real chance of challenging and being in the mix come August. The new boys have given other teams something different to consider; Luke Procter has shown how handy he can be with the bat and the ball, Brett Hutton has chalked up an impressive number of wickets already, and Ricardo Vasconcelos has done well when he has stepped up. When you have new signings of that calibre coming in and joining a squad with the likes of Richard Gleeson, Ben Sanderson and Adam Rossington, it is going to be difficult to bet against us, particularly in our favourite competition.
Although we are not a test match ground, the County Ground is a really special place. Places like Trent Bridge and Edgbaston might offer the sights and the scenery, but our home is like no other. Our pitch is so close to the fans, who squeeze into every nook and cranny, that it creates an atmosphere that is bouncing and alive and kicking. Especially on a Friday night under the lights, we have been able to create an environment which absorbs everyone and there is always an amazing buzz around the ground.
Thankfully, three of our games are on Friday nights, so we will really want to try to make the most of that atmosphere. Obviously, the fans play a crucial role in giving us that added dimension and advantage, so we want to see as many of you down at the County Ground as possible to cheer us on. We know many of you were disappointed with our start to the season, so now we need to put that right, and that starts on the 4 July against Leicestershire.
Here’s to another exciting season of T20.
See you at the County Ground.
Alex Wakely, Club Captain
