Nottinghamshire’s Women are back in the top division of T20 cricket after securing the title with victory over Scotland on Sunday.
Needing just a point to secure top spot and promotion, the side restricted Scotland to 93-7 at Welbeck in pursuit of 125, before their final match of the season against Essex was abandoned.
The results mark an end to an unbeaten run throughout the tournament, as the squad earned promotion straight back to the top division after relegation last summer.
Head Coach Martyn Kiel has set his sights on building on the 2017 success and continuing their consistency of performance across the rest of the year and in 2018.
“Returning to Division One with an undefeated record is a brilliant achievement and everyone that has taken the field has contributed to that at some point across the matches”, he said.
“In 2016 there were key stages in games that we weren’t able to take advantage of and this is where we will need to be better in 2018.
“Without looking too far ahead, our next task is to finish off strongly in our one-day cricket.”
On the back of one-day victories over Middlesex and Berkshire, the squad further displayed their potential in the early rounds of the T20 competition.
From dominant batting performances, as Georgie Boyce and Jodie Dibble added a partnership of 159 in the opening matches, to restricting bowling performances, such as when they defended scores of 122 and 125, the early tone was set with four big victories.
They continued that momentum through tough encounters against Derbyshire and Staffordshire before heading into the final double header, where they secured the title with another accomplished performance.
The side finish with seven victories from eight matches, an effort which Kiel insists is down to the whole squad.
“Importantly, everybody has contributed when required whether it be holding their nerve with the ball at crucial times, fielders backing up the bowlers or selfless batting at the death,” he said.