March is
here at last and with it the hopes for the coming cricket season rise.
Nottinghamshire
will be despatching a lucky number to the Caribbean for some winter sun and
practice matches again, not that that has served the club too well is past seasons;
last season as in the season before saw erratic or sluggish starts to
campaigns.
2014 started
promisingly with a home win, Andy Carter roughing-up the opposition and big
things are expected of AC this year as well. The opposition last early April were
Lancashire, who as it turned out, struggled all season on their return to the
top flight. The false dawn of 2014 has highlighted by a thumping defeat at
Lord’s that followed and seniors Hales and Patel were pushed into the second XI
to search for form immediately afterwards.
April ended
with a home defeat to Warwickshire, a game punctuated by damaging batting
collapses by Notts and one innings of class by Ian Bell.
Alex Hales
was then loaned out to Division 2 Worcestershire, searching for runs as Notts
suffered a rain interrupted draw at Taunton where Phil Jacques hit his first century in his role of replacement for Hales (who was expected to be in
the IPL and not scratching about for runs at New Road). May rain again ruined the start of the next game
at Trent Bridge against promoted Northants. This however this proved to be no
obstacle with Northants still acclimatising themselves to the greater intensity
of the cricket played in division one, were rolled over twice giving Notts an
innings victory.
By mid-May
2014, the T20 had already Blasted-off with a rousing win over Lancashire at
Trent Bridge, pyrotechnics and Samit Patel were the order of the day in front
of a bumper crowd on a Friday evening but Mick Newell’s plans for the season
had started to unfold; injury to Jake Ball and an International call for Harry
Gurney were forcing the D of C’s bowling selections.
Next up, one
week on were Worcestershire who out played the Outlaws on their own wicket;
Notts’ powerful batters being bogged down and losing by 24 runs.
The
resumption of the championship Notts fortunes didn’t change much and in a rain
ruined match against Durham were reeling on the back foot for much of the time
play was possible, Durham having the better of the drawn fixture.
Another
Friday night and a another home defeat for Outlaws, this time at the hands of
Durham by 3 runs; the top order were still not producing the goods but Andy
Carter was bowling well in the yellow uniform.
June began
with a drawn championship encounter at Hove where a welcome return to form for
Alex Hales with 167, was something positive to note. The first week of the
month ended with the annual win in the T20 at Derby, Alex Hales again starring
with 67, in a clumsy win over an inferior opposition. Again Andy Carter was
mentioned in despatches, homing-in on the timbers.
At that time
last year, hope still sprang eternally for Outlaws but further banana skins
laid ahead for Mick Newell and all our hopes that Nottinghamshire could pull
off a one day double and close the gap on the steam roller that was Yorkshire
in the championship.
At the
recent Members’ AGM, Mick Newell said it was unrealistic to expect a county the
size of Nottinghamshire (demographically speaking) to be able to challenge
Yorkshire in producing quality home grown cricketers; perhaps the comparison
with Yorkshire is unfair but given the resources available, Notts don’t shine
out like a beacon when compared to Leicestershire or Derbyshire either, and
they don’t have the advantages brought by having Trent Bridge as a home venue
and with it the added revenue. This shortfall in numbers of quality reserves
was why Notts’ challenges fell away in both 2014 and 2013 and 2014 didn’t have
the compensation of a trip to Lord’s for a one day cup either. But in March 2015
we have a clean-sheet; all outcomes are possible and hope of glory is high
particularly in the one dayers.
25/02/15
Michael Lumb has had surgery on a troublesome torn arm tendon, sustained during the Big Bash. Lumby is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks adding him to Jake Libby who also is not available following an operation to recover from injury picked-up in Australia as well. Jake is expected to be unavailable for several more months.
Add the possibility of import Vernon Philander not arriving at all and Mick Newell's plans look to be coming off the rails before the train has left the station. Happy Birthday Mick!
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