‘We’re building something special’ Coach Bradburn backs Jamaica Kingsmen to rise

As the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) reaches its halfway point for some teams, the Jamaica Kingsmen find themselves in a tricky position as they look to continue their winning momentum and scrap for every point in a tightly packed table.

And, according to head coach Grant Bradburn, there is a different feeling in the camp now.

The Kingsmen, with two wins and three losses, sit third in the standings with four points, pipping Friday’s opponents, the St Lucia Kings (2-3), by virtue of a superior net run rate of 0.067.

Both teams enter the clash at Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium with identical records, but the momentum could hardly be more contrasting.

Jamaica are flying high after back-to-back victories, while the St Lucia Kings suffered a defeat to the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday.

Bradburn’s men have found their rhythm at precisely the right time, and the New Zealander believes his squad’s character has been the driving force behind their resurgence.

“We were just super proud to give the fans something to cheer about in the last two games,” Bradburn said. “Tuesday’s performance was full of character. The team is coming together.”

Baptism of fire

Early matches had been a baptism of fire for the Kingsmen, who are still finding their identity under new leadership. A horrible start saw them lose their first three encounters, but Bradburn insisted there was no panic in the dressing room.

“Everything’s been new for us, and we did start slowly. We were disappointed not to win a couple of games out of those first three, especially bringing it down to the last ball.

“But we stayed calm through that period. None from three wasn’t a great start, but we stayed calm, we stayed connected, and we just kept wanting to get better as a group.”

That calmness, Bradburn explained, has been anchored by the considerable experience within his squad. With veterans Andre Russell and Rovman Powell leading the charge, the Kingsmen have a wealth of cricketing know-how to call upon, with a combined 950 games between them.

“From a coaching point of view, it’s a blessing to have that sort of experience, and that helped us stay calm and just stay focused on the process. The mixture between experience and youthful exuberance has been key. It taught me how important it is with experienced players like Andre Russell, like Rovman Powell, to key players like Vitel Lawes, and so on, to stay grounded.”

While the Jamaica Kingsmen are oozing with confidence, their opponents will be keen to unleash some new faces to bolster their chances.

Boost

The Kings are set to receive a significant boost for Friday’s encounter. Jamaican batsman John Campbell is expected to be available, while New Zealand wicket-keeper batter Tim Seifert is also slated to join the squad.

For Bradburn, however, the focus remains squarely on the process for his team, rather than individual names.

“Look, our attitude as Kingsmen is that, when you pull that shirt on, when you’re selected to play, you’re part of a family. And that’s the way we treat our players,” he said. “We’ve got a good number of players in that dressing room who are starting up their career at the opposite end to Andre and Rovman.

“So, our attitude is to just help them develop, showing them a simple process and trying to give them opportunity. That’s part of who we are as Kingsmen, giving youngsters opportunity and giving them that freedom to fly.”

Bradburn, who has been meticulous in his preparation across all five games, remains unwavering in his commitment to the bigger picture.

“Personally, as a head coach, it’s just putting the process on the park, and I’m super happy with the way we’ve prepared in all five games,” he said.

“We’ve come close in two games that we could have won, but we didn’t dwell too much on that. We just kept looking forward and kept trying to improve our game.”