Trent Rockets coach Salliann Beams says success in this year’s Hundred means nothing less than taking the trophy.
The 38-year-old has been buoyed ahead of the tournament by promotion to the role of General Manager of High Performance at Cricket Tasmania, a position that includes strategic oversight of both the men’s and women’s game.
It is, however, matters on English shores occupying Beams’ mind for the duration of the next month – and the former Loughborough Lightning supremo points to the international quality within the ranks as justification for her optimism.
“The Hundred is a fantastic fan facing competition – and it has really raised the profile of women’s cricket,” she said.
“We’ve worked hard on our recruitment, including the Australian Meg Lanning, who is arguably the best player in the world.
“And our local girls include England internationals Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt – so success for us means actually winning it.
“We’ve got the right balance within our team and we want to go all the way.
“It’s a short turnaround from the Commonwealth Games, but we’re used to the competition having played it last year.
“Everyone is easy to get on with. It’s just about doing what we need to do on the pitch.”
Commenting upon her newly expanded role with Cricket Tasmania, the English born, Australian based former batter admits that the move wasn’t always planned, but does make complete sense.
"When I had the chance to sit back and really think about my own career progression, this is the direction I really want to head in as I am passionate about creating the best high-performance systems and people," Beams said.
"Having signed a [head coach] contract extension back in May, this clearly wasn't something I'd planned, but the opportunity to work in the male system while still working with the same players and staff in the women's program made it really enticing to me.
"The opportunity to stay within the organisation after leaving a head coaching role is an exciting one, and something I am grateful for. The organisation has achieved a lot in recent years and I can't wait to play a role in ensuring Tasmanian cricket reaches its potential in the future."
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With two of Trent Bridge's four fixtures in the second edition of The Hundred having already sold out, tickets are currently available for matches on Wednesday 17 and Bank Holiday Monday 29 August.
Secure your seats here...