After beating Trinidad & Tobago by six wickets, Yorkshire became the second team to qualify for CLT20 2012.  Middle-order bat Adil Rashid was the common factor in Yorkshire’s back-to-back victories in the qualifying stage. He played valuable knocks as the team chased down targets successfully. Involved in a 103-run partnership with Gary Ballance, the 24-year-old helped finish the game with an unbeaten 33-run knock today.

While speaking to clt20.com, Rashid expressed the excitement of participating in CLT20 2012 and the way forward.

Excerpts from the brief chat:

Did your innings yesterday give you the confidence while chasing today?

Definitely, it gave me the confidence to get a few runs yesterday, and to come in today to bat under pressure again to win easily. Gary Ballance played an excellent knock and we are through to the next round now.

How does it feel to qualify for the main tournament?

It is our first time ever and it an exciting time. We are just happy to be able to compete.

How did your team prepare for this tournament?

We prepared well. Our coaching staff, Jason Gillespie, Martyn Moxon and others prepared us quite well in batting bowling and fielding and physically and mentally. So, I think at the moment we are in a good place.

Although you got early breakthroughs, Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin brought T&T back into the game.

That’s what happens in Twenty20 cricket, you lose a few wickets but you come back. Sometimes in Twenty20 you bowl badly and you get a wicket and sometimes you bowl well and get smashed. We played well.

What was the talk between you and Ballance in the middle?

When it was run-a-ball, we decided to finish the game as soon as possible and that’s what we did. Any bad ball was hit for four or a six; so that was a big positive.

What would be the preparation for the tournament ahead? What are the areas that you would work on?

It would be the same. We would work on the same areas. Our top order could play a little bit more. One of the top five could get a hundred or play a big knock. That is something that we can work on. But the key is doing good things I think we will go a long way.