SENTINEL SPORT

JAMES Kettleborough says he saw signs of Staffordshire’s Twenty20 vision in their double header at Northumberland.

- Chris Travers

Staffs endured a difficult first match up at the picturesque Allendale venue as they lost a rain-affected match by 10 wickets.

But Kettleborough was left in high spirits by their performance in the second contest as Staffordshire banked a six-wicket win to get their Group One campaign up and running.

After an NCCA Knockout Trophy programme which disappointed once again as Staffs failed to qualify from their group, Kettleborough took plenty of positives from their second game showing in the north east.

The T20 Cup has been a source of success for the county in recent seasons, with Staffs winning the competition in 2023 and then reaching finals day again last year.

However, expectations were slightly tempered on the long trip north at the weekend with Staffordshire selecting a youthful line-up.

Kettleborough, though, believes that brought out the best in his players as they earned some reward from the afternoon contest.

"You always feel a bit conflicted when you win one and lose one, but overall the vibe was really positive," he said.

"It was nice to take something out of the day in the second game.