We sat down with red-ball skipper Sam Northeast before the team headed off to London for this weekend’s away match against Middlesex at Lord’s.
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It was a great recovery and performance, particularly in the last couple of days at Gloucestershire.
Sam: Yeah, it’s been encouraging to see the guys starting to find some rhythm and form. On the batting side, Zain and Eddie’s partnership was extremely important on the third night. They played incredibly well.
The way our bowlers came back from a tough opening day was extremely pleasing also. To a man, they all showed real character, which is of massive importance; especially when the opposition gets off to a flying start. Ned has real pace and is a point of difference for our attack.
Next up is the trip to Lord’s on Friday. Looking back to 2024 there were some fine performances as a collective, while your own record breaking achievement last April must have been a proud moment.
Sam: It’s always a pleasure to play at the Home of Cricket. Asitha did well for Sri Lanka here last year as well, so there are a lot of good memories across the team.
For our Championship game there last year, it was a special day personally for me in the middle, when everything came together. I’m not sure that day can really be topped, but I’ll certainly try.
The selection committee has chosen the same squad for the third successive game. How well is everyone settling to the rhythm of the new season?
Sam: I think the squad has been getting better every day. Maybe we were a little undercooked at the start of the season, but we’ve come together as a group and from that I’m feeling positive for a strong performance this weekend.
The Second Team have started really well this week as well, so it’s pleasing to see the squad coming together. We’re going to need everyone to play a part this season if we want to achieve our ambitions.