Kingsmen’s Kiwi coach wants focus on process

Jamaica Kingsmen head coach Grant Bradburn has urged calm and a focus on the “process” as his side prepares for today’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) clash against the Barbados Tridents following a disappointing, yet encouraging, opening performance.

Speaking to the media ahead of the crucial encounter, the New Zealander, who has built a distinguished coaching career with Scotland, Pakistan and Glamorgan since 2014, refused to hit the panic button after watching his franchise fall short in its tournament opener in St Vincent.

Bradburn acknowledged that the team’s preparation for the tournament was less than ideal, with players arriving at different stages of the build-up.

However, the experienced coach made it clear those challenges became irrelevant once the competition began.

“Fantastic to get game one under our belt,” Bradburn stated.

“We had a nice build-up, a short build-up, but nice build-up in St Vincent. We had players joining the team at different stages, so it was a little bit messy. But no excuses in game time. We knew what the conditions were going to be.”

The Kingsmen ultimately failed to get over the line, missing out on what Bradburn described as an “exciting” potential Super Over finish.

Rather than dwell on the result, however, he was keen to highlight the positives that emerged from the defeat.

“I am obviously disappointed not to get over the line or at least take it to a Super Over, which would’ve been exciting for the first game of the tournament,” he reflected.

“But we’ve got that first game under our belt. There are plenty of things that we did very well, so we can build on that.”

When asked about the team’s strengths, Bradburn was quick to praise the bowling attack’s ability to adapt to conditions in St Vincent. At the same time, he acknowledged that the opposition capitalised on lapses in execution.

“Look, I think the bowlers knew that it was a surface to use in St Vincent, and by and large, we did that well,” he explained. “I think the opposition capitalised on a few errors. We were a little bit full at times, a little bit short at times, and they actually played well, which they’re entitled to do.”

Coach’s assessment

The coach also offered an honest assessment of his team’s overall display, suggesting they operated at about 80 to 85 per cent in all three disciplines.

He believes small improvements could make a significant difference in the matches ahead.

“I think we all recognise that we were probably 80, 85 per cent in all departments. I think I could’ve found another 15 runs in batting, bowling, and fielding,” Bradburn admitted. “And I think if we did that, then we might’ve come out on a different side.”

With the Tridents encounter looming, Bradburn’s message to his squad is one of patience and diligence.

Despite the early setback, he remains confident in the talent available to him and believes results will come if the team remains committed to its approach.

“Look, we’re just focusing on the process for us. Results will follow,” he declared.

“We’ll get on a roll. We’ve got a quality team. We’re comfortable with that. But we’re just focusing on our process, and we’ve been working hard to clarify that over the last few days.”

Lennox Aldred