McManus calls for ‘squad effort’ as Steelbacks target One Day Cup success
Skipper Lewis McManus says it is going to need 'a squad effort' if Northants Steelbacks are to enjoy a successful Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign.
And he is backing the club's young hopefuls that are involved to rise to the challenge and play their part for the first team when required.
A squad that included teenage spinner Nirvan Ramesh and rookie pace bowler Ben Whitehouse made the trip to Sedbergh for the rained-off clash against Lancashire on Tuesday, and the same 13 are set to be on duty for Friday's home date with Yorkshire.
But there was also plenty of class and experience in there, including overseas pair Yuzi Chahal and Tim Robinson, as well as the likes of Rob Keogh, Luke Procter, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Justin Broad and McManus himself.
And the 50-over skipper says everybody has 'bought in' to what is going to be required if the Steelbacks are to claim a top two finish in Group B and qualify for the knockout stages of the One Day Cup for the first time since 2016, when they suffered a quarter-final defeat to Surrey.
"We have come into this competition with full expectation to win and to compete," McManus told BBC Northampton.
"The young guys have earned their place in this side, and hopefully they can learn as much as possible off the experienced guys we have got in the group.
"Hopefully they get some games along the way and it will take a squad effort if we are to get far in this competition.
"It won't be the 11 that get picked for the first game, it will be a squad effort, and everyone has bought into that brilliantly.
"It is an opportunity for the young guys to see what professional cricket is all about, and any areas they want to work on moving forward, and we are excited to see what they are all about as well.
"As I have touched on, not just in this 50-over competition but for us as a county, it takes a real squad effort throughout the months we play to compete.
"The more guys we can get up to a level, and competing at first team level, will benefit us across all formats."
The Steelbacks will be hoping to get up and running with a win over Yorkshire at the County Ground on Friday (start 11am), and they then go to Rugby School to play Warwickshire on Sunday (11am)
Steelbacks squad v Yorkshire (likely): McManus, Bartlett, Broad, Chahal, Guthrie, Keogh, Leech, Procter, Ramesh, Robinson, Sales, Vasconcelos, Whitehouse