John Wright says he would love to win the Vitality Blast for the supporters as the Club targets a first ever appearance at Finals Day this summer.
The Twenty20 Specialist Coach, who has returned to the Club for a second campaign in the role, led the Falcons to a first quarter final since 2005 last year, with a record eight wins in the group stages.
It was an impressive campaign that put the Falcons just one game away from Finals Day, but Wright knows they must continue to improve if they are to challenge once again.
He hopes the loud home support, which saw a record 24,000 people get behind the Falcons in 2017, can again inspire his side.
He said: “I would love to win something for the supporters because it’s like anything, the reason we play is because of the great fans we have.
“I think that it’s really important as a coach or a player, that the way we repay them is by playing as well as we can with that fighting spirit in every match.
“Last year was a bit bittersweet because like anything you need to have a winning mentality and it would have been great for everybody to experience the occasion of Finals Day.
“We weren’t good enough on the day, but I think we still surprised a few people last year. This year teams will know the cricket that we’re capable of so we will have to do better to match last year’s results, finishing second in the group which was a good effort.
“The first goal will be to get in the top four and qualify for the knockout stages.”
Wright is again joined by fellow former Derbyshire great, Dominic Cork, who will continue his role as Twenty20 Specialist Bowling Coach. He also looks forward to welcoming former New Zealand teammate, and now Scotland national head coach, Grant Bradburn, to The 3aaa County Ground.
Wright added: “The support staff were really good last year. I really enjoyed working with Dominic [Cork] and it’s good to have Grant [Bradburn] here this year.
“He’s got a good record with Scotland and he’s a good coach so he’ll certainly add to our team and we’re looking forward to the competition this year.”
Vitality Blast is back! Derbyshire Falcons host seven Twenty20 games this July and August. Purchase your tickets in advance and save from £4. Buy online or call 01332 388 101.
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