VFTB Ins and Outs at Trent Bridge

A new season looms and I for one am quite looking forward to it. All the usual questions will be asked by Notts fans, I have no doubt:

• ·       What silverware do you think Nottinghamshire will win?
• ·       Who will open the batting for Notts?
• ·       What bowlers will be successful this season?
• ·       Will anyone from the Academy make a breakthrough to the First XI?

I think the headline signings of Vernon Philander and Ben Hilfenhaus might be just what the doctor ordered and give the new campaign some early impetus for Notts. Two top quality bowlers with Philander bowling on April wickets, then when Vernon has left he’s replaced by Ben Hilfenhaus. This could be an exciting prospect for Notts fans; after all you need to bowl a team out twice to win a Championship game in most cases (I await a statistic to disprove this bold claim).

Brendan Taylor’s signature could prove to be the one acquisition that makes a season long difference, Notts so often running out steam in the last 5 or 6 weeks each year.  A proud Zimbabwean experienced in all formats at the top level but not over played.  Brendan will be another of those heads in the on-field conferences James Taylor loves to have between deliveries during T20s and is an exciting player, judging by his World Cup performances.

Mick Newell certainly stuck his neck out when he played his cards early and grabbed Greg Smith from Leicestershire and Will Gidman from Gloucestershire at the end of the 2014 season.  Both could take time to settle into the higher tier of the Championship but hopefully both have the quality to succeed – those professionally remunerated to judge have deemed that they are!  James Taylor took a little time to make the step-up as you will recall (hopefully James will have his feet moving this season and not be out LBW quite so often as in 2014). With the absence of Michael Lumb in the first month, Smith will get his chance to impress.

Darren Sammy’s incoming at a point in the season when the Outlaws might lack a few of their key players to International call-ups could be a bit of a luxury if the cull of the England squad demands a completely new thinking and some of our boys miss out. Sammy is only with us for 4 T20 games so if he comes off in one of those games, it will feel like a masterstroke by Mick again.  When Lumby returns from injury that will, arguably, give Notts Outlaws a bigger boost and a longer lasting one too.

So if those are the incomers, who were the out-goers and will they be missed?

Ajmal Shahzad, ineffectual in the Championship as a bowler, particularly at Trent Bridge showed more use in the role of batting nightwatchman  or lower middle order batsman where he at times looked to be the only one valuing his own wicket. Shahzad’s absence in T20 will be instantly blotted-out by a fit again Andy Carter. If you were to consider the swap of Gidman in place of Shahzad then Notts are in profit on that deal.

The non-return of Phil Jacques is a negative but last year we had his experienced services under false-pretences in hindsight, with Hales’ reserve valued too high for the IPL moguls. Fellow opener, Sam Kelsall, never made the leap from the Seconds to the First XI and struggled on his few occasional opportunities; his departure prompted by the emergence of Jake Libby, who ought to be fit for the second half of the season.

The other Australian that Nottinghamshire had for the beginning of 2014, Peter Siddle, showed some skill, bowling beautifully at times but never a gave sustained spell of pace or venom to put the frighteners on the opposition. Siddle did shelter Luke Fletcher from having to carry the bulk of the workload however, and when he left, things did certainly nose dive in the championship – a glaring oversight by the Trent Bridge management not lining up a supplementary overseas bowler. Notts and Fletch suffering as a consequence. (thanks rogerthat for pointing out my glaring oversight. As for the lack of a frontline spinner; that gap is still to be filled but Samit can’t be as uninspiring in the Championship with turning his arm over as in 2014, again surely!

The Andre Adams of 2013 and earlier seasons would be difficult to replace but last season Andre only showed glimpses of the player that he had previously been and perhaps Nottinghamshire have had the best from him before he left for the south coast and Hampshire.

The balance scales weigh heavily in Notts’ favour in 2015 compared to 2014 following the winter wheeling and dealings; hopefully that will be rewarded by silverware and plenty to cheer. There only two or three weeks to wait. DDG

First posted on View from the boundary 

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