Luke Wood struck a philosophical note despite seeing his Trent Rockets side slip to a three-run defeat to Northern Superchargers in The Hundred at Trent Bridge.
Wood took three wickets in the space of the contest’s first ten balls, before Superchargers recovered to post 142/5.
Alex Hales (29) top-scored for the hosts, with Daniel Sams (27) providing impetus late in the innings, but Wayne Parnell’s Superchargers ultimately prevailed.
“I practise length and swing a lot. It’s one of those things where if it’s going to happen, it will happen within the first five or ten balls,” said Wood of his opening burst.
“You see a lot of left-armers doing the same thing.
“We would have liked to restrict them to 120, but our fielding maybe shifted momentum onto their side. We need to be on it for all 100 balls.”
The result leaves the Rockets fourth in the group-stage table, with Saturday’s game at London Spirit marking the competition’s halfway stage.
“It’s early doors and we’ve only played three games,” he said.
“We’re still confident and in the majority of the game we actually played okay, but opponents are allowed to play well and we just got on the wrong side of the result.”
Meanwhile Superchargers’ David Wiese hit 54 from 25 balls to haul the visitors past 140, and he credited those who came before him with laying a platform.
“In that situation, you can’t go too defensive because then you’re going to dig yourself a hole,” he said.
“It’s a fine line – you still have to be positive and aggressive, but you also have to minimise risk and take it as deep as possible.
“That partnership between Adam Hose and Saif Zaib and the way Brydon Carse batted allowed me to come in later and go for the boundaries.
“And defending the total we had really good plans, which we executed well. Wayne Parnell bowled really nicely and Toppers (Reece Topley) is a world-class bowler who has done it for England and in franchise cricket around the world, so for him to be able execute the death overs, that’s what he is really good at.”
*******
