The Blaze’s maiden competitive fixture may have felt a long time coming since their establishment at Trent Bridge, but Head Coach Christ Guest is determined to see the big picture ahead of their opener against Central Sparks.
A squad of 14 has been named for the clash, including winter additions Sarah Glenn and Georgie Boyce, as well as overseas all-rounder Nadine De Klerk.
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy will see each of the eight regions play each other twice (home and away), compared to once in previous seasons.
For Guest, it gives his side the drive to stay on the top of their game if they start well, as is his ambition following a winter’s hard graft.
“We are really excited,” Guest said.
“We know that the girls have got better, we know that they have improved individually and as a squad.
“We have a better understanding of ourselves as players and we are in a better place to go into the season to be competing and winning games.
“And every game that we go into, with the squad that we have assembled, we want to win. But the best thing this year, with there being more fixtures, is that you’re in the competition for longer.
“That can go both ways; if you win the first few games you’re not guaranteed anything compared to previous seasons where, after two or three games, you pretty much knew where you were going to end up.
“If we don’t get out well in this first block of five games, then we have nine games to turn it around.”
The expectation has, for Guest, been heightened with the acquisitions made in the off-season.
Sarah Glenn has taken six wickets in The Blaze’s pre-season fixtures whilst Georgie Boyce scored unbeaten fifties against Sunrisers and Northern Diamonds.
Nadine de Klerk is available, too, having flown in from South Africa this week.
“We have gained a high quality international bowler in Glenny who has been great to have around the group,” Guest said.
“Not only with the wickets that she has taken, but just how she has approached the training. It was really good to see that in the pre-season games, when Josie Groves was bowling, Glenny would have the conversations with her.
“And it is really nice to see Boycey, as someone we have played against across the years, to see her batting well and generally looking a bit freer.
“That is going to rub off on the other players, and it’s how we want to play our cricket.”
“For Nadine, it is really good that she is here for the first game. I am really excited to see how she fits into the group.
“From everything I have been told, we have a really competitive cricketer who can impact the game with all three skills and has a really good work ethic.”
Guest is well placed to prepare his squad for Central Sparks, having coached Davina Perrin, Hannah Baker, Ellie Anderson and Charis Pavely to a World Cup runners-up medal with England U19s.
But, both for this curtain raiser and throughout the season, he is insistent on The Blaze focusing on themselves and adapting better than anyone.
“With the way the women’s game is, you know a lot about everyone anyway,” he said.
“The key thing is that everyone will have improved over the winter. People have six months of development and they have expanded their games. Particularly early season, we need to be ready to adjust.
“I would expect a couple of those players to play a prominent role in Sparks’ side. Clearly the knowledge we have is great, but it is one thing having the knowledge, it is another trying to counteract that and nullify their threat.
“We are in a good place with understanding opposition, but the key for me this weekend is to go out and do our stuff correctly, not to be worried about the opposition.”
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