Essex Eagles batsman Michael Pepper seeking Vitality T20 Blast Finals Day glory at Edgbaston

It has served them well so far – and former The Perse School pupil Michael Pepper has called on his Essex Eagles teammates to continue with their positive mindset during this weekend’s Vitality Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston.

The bookmakers regard the Eagles, who will take on Hampshire Hawks in the semi-finals at 11am, to be the outsiders to get their hands on a trophy that they lifted for the one and only time back in 2019.

However, with Essex the second highest overall run scorers in this year’s competition – as well as being fifth in the wicket-taking standings – Pepper sees no reason why his side cannot be celebrating come Saturday evening.

Pepper, who spent a number of years turning out for Cambridge Cricket Club and has also played for the amalgamated Foxton Granta, said: “The four sides in it are all from the Southern section. We all know each other and although we lost to a couple of them (against Hampshire and Somerset), those are games we felt we should have won.

“Not being the favourites with the bookies doesn’t mean anything to us. We’ve made Finals Day for a reason and that’s because we’re a good team.

“We believe on our day that we’re the best side there and that comes down to our positive mantra with bat and ball.

“The group is confident and we’ve got plenty of players that can stand up and win us matches.”

Few players in the Eagles’ squad represent that ‘positive mantra’ better than Pepper.

The 25-year-old tops the team’s individual run-scoring charts with 391 runs – a statistic that is all the more impressive when factoring in that he missed the first four matches with a finger injury.

Nevertheless, Pepper does not feel any added weight of expectation on his shoulders to deliver the goods.

He added: “I’m very happy with how I’m seeing and hitting the ball at the moment.

“Not being part of the team for those first four games was frustrating because I’d been training really well. It was something like three days before the tournament started when I got a knock on the finger.

“But since then it’s been going well. I’m happy with the runs I’ve scored but I don’t see that as any extra pressure going into Finals Day.

“We’ve got a lot of unbelievably talented players above and below me in the batting order.

“Seven, eight or even nine players can win us the game with the bat.

“If I can score the runs that get us over the line then great, but most of us can take the game on.

“It’s about having pride over your wicket and being positive. It’s served us well and so there is no more pressure than normal.”

And Pepper is also hopeful that he may have some local support in the stands in Birmingham.

He remains closely connected with a number of the playing squad at Foxton Granta, including his brother, Chris.

“I still speak to a lot of the people at the club and look out for their results and how they’re getting on each week,” he said.

“Some of them are really good mates that I started playing cricket with when I was really young.

“It would be great to see some of them in the crowd at Edgbaston at the weekend, although I know some of them might have playing commitments.”