Warriors to Lick Their Wounds and Come Back Fighting Harder Following Narrow Defeat

North West Warriors Manager Ian McGregor says his young team will have to work hard on the batting front to compete in future games. The Warriors well renowned for their fighting spirit will have to learn quickly if they are to start getting results in this new longer format.

Barry Chambers: Ian, you showed good fight there, but just not enough runs in the end, I suppose.

Ian McGregor (North West Warriors Manager): Fight is one thing, as you know Barry, the North West Players don't lack. Unfortunately, as you say, runs in every innings that we've played this year has been the one thing that has sadly been lacking. But that's work for the future, I'm sure.

Barry Chambers: And when you're 116 all out, it's a long road back. But the bowlers performed pretty well, especially in the first innings.

Ian McGregor: Very much so, in very very difficult conditions too, you know with the heat. In the longer format of the game guys get tested physically and mentally, but as you say, if you can only post 116, you're sort of on the back foot straight away.

But the bowlers, both in the first innings and the second innings, are they guys that have kept us in the game, it's been fantastic.

Barry Chambers: Would a fully fit Johnny Thompson in the second innings have made a difference there do you think?

Ian McGregor: We can always speculate, but I would like to think on his performances so far, and especially in the first innings, I think Andy and Stuart ran in hard for us early, and as I say they do get a little tired, if you had somebody like Johnny coming in on the back of that, who is still running in hard, who knows.

Barry Chambers: And switch now to T20 mode I think is the next game for the Warriors, what's going to be the sort of team selection there? Will it be more or less the same group of players?

Ian McGregor: Well we have a limited squad of players to pick from. We don't have the luxury that Leinster would have. And as I say the squad that we've picked is one with development in the future in mind. I think these guys that we have here, deserve that exposure to what may potentially suit some of their play.

Barry Chambers: Bobby has talked about a learning curve, that's what it certainly is. I mean you're looking long term here, through the next three to five years, most of these guys will be about for that period of time.

Ian McGregor: Well that's what we're hoping. When you start at the bottom, the only way is up. These guys have never played some of these formats before. It's about giving them a taste of it. And we can see already inside the space of the two months that we've been working together with the squad, how far some of these guys have come. Not just individually, but as a group of players. As you can see yourself, they fight for each other out there. They enjoy each other's company. And if we're learning and if we're enjoying our cricket, well then we can't ask for anymore than that from them.