As she leads The Blaze to Blackpool hunting an eighth Metro Bank One Day Cup win in a row, Marie Kelly couldn’t be happier to have extended her contract.
On the same day she and the side travel to the Fylde coast to face Lancashire, Kelly agreed a new deal to take her stay at Trent Bridge into a sixth season.
“I’m so excited. I obviously love the club, and I’ve really enjoyed captaining as well,” said Kelly, whose side are hunting a win to extend their already-nine point advantage at the summit.
“We’ve got such a strong team, and I want to be part of that for another year at least. I’m really over the moon to sign it, and secure a contract for the next year.”
Kelly is named in a 13-strong squad that sees two changes from The Blaze’s five-wicket win over Surrey in Beckenham on Saturday.
Georgie Boyce and Amy Wheeler make way for Josie Groves and Michaela Kirk, with the visitors looking to secure a ninth win from ten games of this summer’s competition.
Kelly has taken on stand-in skipper duties while regular captain Kirstie Gordon is away at the T20 World Cup with Scotland, and she says her charges are feeling positive as they head north.
“I think, with the way we’ve been playing, we’ll be really confident going into it,” she said. “It will be a game where whoever can put their skills out there for longer, will probably win.
“Lancashire are a team that are quite consistent in terms of being able to carry out their skills for long periods of time.
“Whoever can hold out a bit longer, and perhaps be a bit more consistent with the ball, will probably come out on top.”
The Stanley Park venue is also of particular interest to Kelly, as despite being one of Lancashire’s more regular outgrounds, it is one that The Blaze are yet to visit.
“Obviously, it’s a new ground, and we haven’t played it before, so it’s been good to get a training day in and get some plans in place for tomorrow,” she explained.
“Getting a feel for the ground, especially from a fielding point of view as well with the angles, the pace of the pitch as a batter, is so important.
“When we train on the square, you can get an idea as a batter and as a bowler how the pitch might play the next day.”
While conditions by the seaside are in her mind, Kelly is feeling at ease with her game and happy with her form, having hit 69 against Surrey on her One Day Cup return last week.
“I’m really happy with my own game. I enjoyed going back to the tempo of 50-over cricket, and just spending a bit more time at the crease,” she said.
“There’s a bit less dot-ball pressure as well, which is always nice as a batter! Beckenham is a wonderful place to bat too, so I wanted to cash in there.”
As for switching between the Vitality Blast and the longer form of the game, Kelly is clear in how she goes about things, and is positive her approach can pay off in Lancashire.
“I think it’s just a mindset thing, and being really clear on your approach. You have to take it a bit more ball-by-ball and assess what’s needed,” she explained.
“You have to have that mindset that you want to bat for longer periods of time, and then you want to know what outcome you’re expecting from the game.”
