Ben Duckett says that the Steelbacks need a full team effort for what will be a challenging few days of Vitality Blast T20 cricket.
The Steelbacks head to Chester-Le-Street later this week for the first of two back-to-back matches in the north of England, the first coming against Durham Jets on Thursday evening, the second against Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley on Friday evening.
The week then finishes at home to Birmingham Bears on Sunday afternoon.
Duckett has been having a decent season in the Vitality Blast, averaging 34.85 in his seven innings with a high score of 96 and strike rate of 169.44, all well above his average in the format.
He is as frustrated as anyone at the County Ground at the Steelbacks’ lack of form in 2018, and says that the players are well aware of the feelings among the faithful in the stands.
“We know everyone is disappointed,” he said. “We’ve had some good cricket over the past few years, we’ve had some great fans come in and we can tell that they’re annoyed, so hopefully we can get them back on our side with a few wins.
“Every game is important, no matter the format. For us it’s been a tough start. Everyone knows that.
“It’s important now for individuals, whether bowlers or batters, to perform.”
With two of the three games this week coming on the road it is an opportunity for the team to come together as a group, and Duckett says that this could bring its own bounce in form.
“When you come to a home game you come in, play, and go home,” he added. “It’s going to be good for us to have some time together, but with three games in four days we could get a bit of a bounce by getting a win in the first one, and then if we get a couple of wins it’ll be a lot nicer to come home on Sunday.
“It’s massively important for us to stick together, which is something I said after the game last Friday. We all get on very well and need to try to get to enjoy our cricket again.”
Sunday 5 August is Family Fun Day at the County Ground. Gates open at 11:30am and there will be interactive fun and games on the outfield until 1:30pm.
The Steelbacks play Birmingham Bears at 2:30pm in the Vitality Blast, and by booking before match day you can save £5 on adult tickets and £10 on family tickets (2 adults and up to 3 juniors).