Men's Cricket

Harrison Ward: T20 Blast interview

3 Jul 2024

Harrison Ward: Blasting the Sharks to Success

It's been a successful opening 8 games in the Blast for the Sharks so far this season, and explosive opener Harrison Ward has been vital to that success at the top of the order. We caught up with him ahead of the Blast resuming this Friday against Glamorgan to find out what he's made of the team's performances up until now.

Harrison, firstly your assessment of the campaign so far?

I think it’s been very good so far! To be 6 wins from 8 games and second in the table puts us in a strong position going into the second block of blast games. Everyone who’s played has contributed in some way which shows we have match winners the whole way down our side.

Results this year so far have been much better, particularly at home, what do you put that down to?

I’d put it down to us as a group always taking the positive whether it’s with bat or ball. The coaching staff and Millsy have backed everyone who’s played to take that option and it’s showed in games where we’ve looked behind with the bat and lads down the order have got us up to very good scores. And with the ball we’re taking wickets consistently through our 20 overs.

You had to wait for your chance to get in the team, but you’ve grabbed it with both hands – two big half-centuries already, you must be extremely happy with the impact you’ve had at the top of the order?

It’s been good to contribute to a couple of wins. I had to stay patient last year for a chance as well so I knew that if I kept myself in a good place mentally that when I got a chance that it would give me the best chance to score runs.

You’ve opened with Dan Hughes, you both seem to complement each other so well, what’s it like playing with him and how much has he impressed you?

He’s been excellent for us. We seem to hit the ball in different areas which always helps. He’s also kept me calm in situations that I could have thrown my wicket away and kept me focused. I think he’s impressed everyone, not just me and hopefully he can keep his form going for the rest of the tournament.

It really has been a team effort across the games, everyone chipping in with runs and wickets – it seems to everyone on the outside that there is a real togetherness and team spirit among the group?

There definitely is! The championship team started the season off so well and it feels like we have carried that into the t20 blast. Everyone is enjoying playing with each other and therefore backing each other to do well and that makes it easier to put in performances.

Six games still left to play, with plenty of tough fixtures in there, how confident are you and the team of continuing the great form you’ve already shown this year?

I think it would be very easy to look ahead at what could come at the end of the group stages. However, every game we’ve played so far, we have gone into focusing purely on that game and we will do that for the rest of the tournament and see where it takes us.

Paul has mentioned the goal was to get to the next stage of the competition, but there must be some quiet confidence among the group that you could go further and make finals day?

As much as you want to focus on the next game. Everyone at the start of a new season looks at final’s day as the big event in the domestic calendar and wants to play in it. I think if we keep playing the way we are then I see no reason why we can’t get to finals day as everyone is contributing and playing well.