One step at a time for Wakely

If the Steelbacks get the better of Glamorgan in Cardiff on Friday evening they will guarantee themselves a spot in the knockout stages - they could qualify even if they don’t win another group game - and while the captain knows what is at stake, he would rather get each facet of the performance in order than look solely at the end result.

He said: “I’m not looking too far ahead and, I know it’s a cliche, but it really is one game at a time.

“If we turn up and play our best cricket, and this has been the case since the start of the season, then the results will take care of themselves.

“That is what has been happening, we’ve been getting the batting right and the bowling right and we’ve been winning games.

“By making sure each part of our game is working, we’ve been able to put together some excellent performances.”

How well the Steelbacks are doing may have come as something of a surprise to many after a couple of disastrous seasons in the coloured clothes but Wakely actually thinks this may have helped this time around.

He added: “We were so bad last year that it’s been a good chance to start again and build it right from the bottom.

“The club may have expected us to get to the quarter-finals because they’ve put time and money into the one-day game, even if they’ve not said it publicly, but I’ve preferred to not get too far ahead.”

As for Friday, Wakely saya that he and his men know exactly what to expect.

“It’ll be quite tough down there and we know that we’ll be playing on a wicket that will turn square,” he said.

“That’s how they’ve been going and the few days we’ve got gives us a chance to prepare for that kind of game.

“We’ll be ready for whatever they’ve got for us and the chance to get to the quarter-finals and have the chance of reaching a finals day is what we want as cricketers.”