Steindl says togetherness the key to Saltires' win

THE Saltires may have shocked Leicestershire on Sunday by winning their opening Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Grace Road, but the prowess with which they played came as no surprise to Peter Steindl. Having seen his squad become steadily sharper in training, the coach was confident they would be competitive at Grace Road.

"Most of the guys have been training together for a while now," Steindl said yesterday. "They've been working really well together and it was no surprise they put in a really strong performance."

Chasing a Leicestershire total of 217-7, the Scots were up against it going into the last two overs, needing 19 runs to clinch the win. But Grange batsman Neil McCallum saw them home with some valuable help from Majid Haq, claiming a victory which sets the squad up nicely for this weekend's home double-header.

"They fought really hard for the win," Steindl added. "We were very much in control, except for the powerplay when we lost our way a little bit. You never think it's in the bag, but we had a top-six batter in the 40th over and he's been hitting balls well the last couple of weeks."

Kent, who have played four matches and have yet to win in the competition, are the first visitors to the Citylets Grange on Saturday. Nottinghamshire, with two wins from four, come to the Edinburgh venue the following day. It is the first of five weekends in which the Saltires play two games in the limited-overs tournament, and Steindl believes they have the stamina to cope.

"It will be a test, and going to the wire like we did at Grace Road does take a lot out of you. But the guys work on their fitness really hard, and we're used to back-to-back games."

The opening-day win has not only provided a boost to the morale of the squad, it should also help swell the crowd at the Grange as the Saltires bid to build on that victorious start. With no fitness problems arising from the match in Leicester, the same 14-man squad will prepare for the Kent and Notts games and be reduced to 13 later in the week.

• ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has praised the West Indies for making the ICC World Twenty20 a "truly memorable event". The West Indies Cricket Board found themselves roundly criticised for their handling of the World Cup in 2007, where high ticket prices contributed to a disappointing atmosphere, but Lorgat was left impressed by the recently concluded tournament, won by England on Sunday with victory over Australia in the final.

"For me this was a truly memorable event which showcased the unique culture and passion for cricket in the Caribbean," said Lorgat.