Donovan Ferreira is backing Yorkshire to recover from successive defeats in the Vitality Blast and get their quarter-final bid back on track when they travel to Chesterfield tomorrow.
The Vikings are in need of a win as they prepare to face Derbyshire Falcons, starting at 2.30pm.
They lost to Durham and Birmingham in their last two North Group games to slip out of the top four qualifying places.
With nine games gone, Yorkshire have won four and lost five. They sit on eight points, two adrift of fourth-placed Leicestershire.
South African overseas all-rounder Ferreira cut a frustrated figure last night after smashing 66 off 32 balls in the high-scoring defeat to Birmingham at Headingley, a game which Jafer Chohan missed because of a broken thumb.
The powerful middle order batter was outstanding en-route to his best score for the county but fell at the start of the penultimate over with 18 runs needed. It was arguable the key moment of an enthralling contest which saw more than 400 runs scored.
Birmingham posted 214-7 to Yorkshire’s 210-5, with the white ball international believing the visitors were allowed to score 20 runs too many in the first innings.
“I just feel as a collective, we weren’t on it,” he said.
“But, if you can learn out of these games and keep growing as a side, you can only get better.”
It’s no secret that Yorkshire don’t have a great record at Chesterfield in T20 cricket. They have lost their last six matches against Derbyshire at the Queen’s Park venue.
But that statistic is, quite rightly, of no concern to Ferreira.
The 25-year-old is very much looking at things with a glass half full approach.
“We just need to focus on what we can control,” he said.
“Sometimes as a sportsman you focus on a lot of external things.
“If we play our best cricket, with the skillset we have in our dressing room, it doesn’t matter where we play or what history has gone on, I think we can get it over the line.”
Last night’s 32-ball blitz was Ferreira’s best score in seven innings for the Vikings in this season’s Blast – his first campaign in county cricket.
He gave an honest assessment of his overall return.
But, much like his view of how the team can bounce back from a couple of defeats, he is confident that more innings like last night’s are just around the corner.
“You want to do as much as possible to contribute to the team, and I feel like, in terms of what I can bring to the team, I’ve let myself down,” he added.
“But there’s five games left, and you need to look forward.
“You’re never going to score runs all the time, but it’s how you bounce back.”
Derbyshire are currently seventh in the North Group table on six points with three wins from eight.
They are a place below Yorkshire but could start tomorrow’s game ahead of the Vikings given they are in action against Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road this evening (6.30pm).
Pakistani international fast bowler Mohammad Amir will debut for the Falcons this evening. He has signed an overseas deal to play the final six group games. He will line up alongside South African seamer Daryn Dupavillon.
They are captained in this format by former England all-rounder Samit Patel.
Yorkshire will be hoping for a repeat of this week’s County Championship win over Derbyshire at Chesterfield, an innings victory completed on Tuesday – inside three days.
