Jimmy Neesham says Derbyshire Falcons remain positive and focused on this Friday’s NatWest T20 Blast derby versus Notts Outlaws and insists he has more in the tank.
Two closely contested matches against Birmingham Bears and Yorkshire Vikings have seen the Falcons fall on the wrong end of tight results, but Neesham believes it’s the nature of Twenty20 cricket and the Falcons are determined to return to winning ways.
He said: “It’s the nature of T20. You can’t get too worked up on results and whether you win or lose, you have to focus on how you play the game.
“We’ve put up some good performances and the lads have said that this season is a step up in regard to how performances have gone so far.
“The experienced guys in the team know that if you put performances up on the board enough, you’ll get more wins more often than not.
“It’s exciting and we’ve been playing some really good cricket over the last five games or so – we’ve been pretty unlucky with two or three close losses.
“Overall, we are heading in the right direction. We’ve got a few lads that have threatened to have big games but just not managed to finish it off.”
He added: “I feel my performances have been par so far. In the nature of T20 with bowling, I don’t get too hung up on stats and economy rates, I think you can bowl well and go for 50 or bowl badly and go for 25 sometimes.
“I’m pretty happy with how it’s coming out at the moment and it’s a new challenge for me bowling at the top which I’m grasping. It’ll continue to develop over the season.
“With batting I’ve managed to get in some strong positions and get starts but then haven’t been able to deliver at the death.
“The lads at the top end are looking to deliver and set a good foundation and if that can happen, I can look to get an opportunity to free up the shoulders a bit more.
“We know Notts have a strong line up and have had some good wins lately and they’re not to be taken lightly. We’ll concentrate on our own area and if we do that well we will give ourselves a good chance.
“The crowds have been good. It was pretty boisterous a couple of games ago against Leicestershire. It’s a good crowd, a passionate support group and hopefully they will turn up on Friday night and get behind us.”
Supporters can save 20% by purchasing their NatWest T20 Blast matchday tickets in advance of the day of the game. Buy online, over the phone by calling 01332 388 101 or in person at The 3aaa County Ground.
Notts Outlaws – Fri 24 June – BUY
Northants Steelbacks – Sun 3 July – BUY
Yorkshire Vikings – Sun 10 July – BUY
Lancashire Lightning – Wed 13 July – BUY
Worcestershire Rapids – Fri 22 July – BUY
