Assistant Coach Laura Marsh has praised the contributions made by those new to The Blaze’s squad as the side gears up for their first appearance in the Charlotte Edwards Cup under their new identity. 

A squad of 13 has been named to face South East Stars at Beckenham, including Nat Sciver-Brunt who is in contention to make her debut for the Club.

The Blaze begin the T20 campaign having concluded the first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy block unbeaten with three wins and two no results. 

According to Marsh, a 179-times capped England international who joined the coaching staff in the winter, the results have been aided by the new additions and have given the dressing room a healthy boost. 

“The mood is really good in the camp,” Marsh said. 

“There is a great energy. We had a good winter of training and it was important to start the season well to give us a bit of momentum and we’ve done that. 

“It helps that the girls know each other really well, and there are some new additions who have brought their skills and fitted in with the group

“Nadine de Klerk, for example, had a brilliant performance against Northern Diamonds. It is brilliant to have someone with her international experience coming in, not only for her performances but to help the rest of the group and be a role model. 

“As an overseas player, she wants to have an impact and has done that with bat and ball. She has made some good contributions which is what we want. 

“It is really exciting to have someone of Nat’s quality around, too, she is one of the best players in the world. To have her coming back in is really exciting and it will add another dimension to the group.”

In her only recently concluded playing career, Marsh took 217 all-format international wickets, and has plenty of experience to offer the wealth of fellow spinners in the Blaze squad. 

Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon and Lucy Higham have taken 13 wickets between them this season, and are supplemented by the likes of England U19 leg-spinner Josie Groves.

Indeed, it was Higham who fired The Blaze to an opening match victory against Central Sparks at Trent Bridge with a maiden five-wicket haul.

The focus has shifted for the time being, though, on a the block of seven T20 games which makes up the group stages of the Charlotte Edwards Cup. 

For Marsh, the approach does not change too much, but the ambition to start well both in the context of the fixtures and each game, is apparent.

“That first game was awesome,” she said, reflecting on The Blaze’s first win at Trent Bridge.

“To have the amount of support that we did was really exciting, we know we have got a good fan base to build on. It is great for the girls, and for them to be able to play at Trent Bridge is awesome. 

“In terms of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, I think it is nice in some ways to have the games in a short burst because you can put all your focus into one format. We had a little gap with T20 warm up games, and  hopefully we can hit the ground running with the first game. 

“There isn’t a massive change in terms of how we approach the game. We want to play both very positively, in T20 cricket you just have a bit less time and so you have to hit top gear from the start. That will be something we are looking to work hard on in our preparation.”