WHILE Trent Copeland and his New South Wales team-mates have already secured their spot in the Sheffield Shield final, the Blues are still intent on building momentum.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Last week as Bathurst seamer Copeland shone in the 133-run win over South Australia - his efforts including taking 5-63 from 25 overs in the second innings - it saw the Blues move almost 16 points clear on top of the ladder.
It secured their place in the decider, but Copeland and his fellow Blues still have two matches before then.
The first against Tasmania - who NSW beat by eight wickets earlier this season - starts on Friday in Hobart.
Copeland has enjoyed good hauls at Blundstone Arena in the past. Last year he took eight wickets for the match when playing in Hobart, including 6-88 in the first innings.
In December 2016 he snared 6-54 off 33 overs at Blundstone Arena, while a season earlier he took 7-58 off 23 overs.
They are performances Copeland would love to repeat this week to ensure both he and NSW head into the final in good form. However, the immediate focus for the Blues is making sure they beat the Tigers.
Batsman Kurtis Patterson says the 'one game at a time' approach is working well for the Blues.
"I think one thing we've done really well is we've concentrated on the next game coming up," he said.
"We've obviously been playing some good cricket this year and the final's been looming after a few wins early on, but I think we've done a really good job of making sure we focus on the next game and nothing's changed for this week."
