White Rose can go all the way, insists Kalis

STERRE Kalis sees no reason why Yorkshire cannot go all the way and win the Vitality County T20 Cup competition as she prepares to face her loan county Warwickshire in this afternoon’s quarter-final at Weetwood (2.30pm).

- By GRAHAM HARDCASTLE

The Netherlands international was at the heart of last Saturday's third-round win over Essex Eagles, hitting a fabulous 83 not out with 14 4s and a six to set up another tie with Tier 1 opposition.

Yorkshire's players have long since spoken about how important this competition is, with them determined to prove a point following the ECB's decision to give the county Tier 2 status for 2025 instead of an immediate top-flight entry at the start of the new county-led domestic structure.

The White Rose will head into Tier 1 next summer, but they have already shown they can compete now having brushed Essex aside in a victory which was more convincing than the 11-run victory margin suggests. It was their sixth successive win across both 50-over and T20 cricket.

"We're a Tier 2 side, but we feel like we can compete with anybody from Tier 1 at the moment,” said Kalis.

"We played against some Tier 1 sides in Abu Dhabi on our pre-season tour, and we had some good performances there.

"Saturday will be a big occasion. If we win, we go to Finals Day, and that’s something we really want to achieve.