Lewis Gregory believes execution will be key to Trent Rockets’ chances of reaching The Hundred’s inaugural Finals Day, as the Nottingham based outfit prepare for an Eliminator against Southern Brave at The Kia Oval on Friday.
The Rockets triumphed in a must-win group stage fixture against Manchester Originals to book their place in the knockout stages, while Brave - who feature the likes of Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills and Jake Lintott - overcame Oval Invincibles to seal their qualification.
“You need a positive mindset in this competition,” Gregory said.
“Their bowlers have done well, they have world class guys who close out the game, but we will have to put them under pressure and do what other teams haven’t managed to do.
“It’s a big game, whoever holds their cool and whoever executes on the night will come out on top.”
Having taken the captaincy reins for the Rockets, the Somerset all-rounder led his side to five wins and three defeats in the group stage.
He admits that tactical elements have been a challenge to master in the shorter format, but support from the likes of Notts’ captain Steven Mullaney has helped his cause.
“We have had to adapt throughout, we got off to a fantastic start winning our first three games then had a rocky patch,” Gregory said.
“The biggest thing for me was that when we needed to step up in that last game, we did. That’s what you want in this tournament and in this format, you want guys to do it when it’s tough and the game is on the line.
“In the other formats, you are a few overs ahead, planning in advance about what things look like, but with this I am having to make snap decisions on gut feel,” he added.
“Obviously there is a big emphasis on match-ups but, equally, fitting that in around ground size, and shorter boundaries, there has been a lot more thinking on your feet and making last minute changes.
“It has been more stressful and harder work than other formats, but I have enjoyed it thoroughly and we have a lot of experience which has helped me out.
Now just one win away from the tournament crescendo at Lord’s, Gregory is keen to soak up the atmosphere of the Eliminator, and do everything in his power to carry his side through to an historic fixture.
“It would be amazing to make it to the final,” he said.
“These games are why we start playing cricket. We have got that taste of a knockout fixture atmosphere from our last game and I hope we can take that into Friday and to a Lord’s final. That is what dreams are made of.”