Luke Fletcher in the Post

With 'everything going wrong' Luke Fletcher feels the pain of Nottinghamshire's form

By

Matt Davies

Amid the gloom of Nottinghamshire's current struggles, Luke Fletcher has been the consistent shining light this season.

The seamer was their outstanding player as they reached the Royal London One Day Cup semi-finals and he has been their best bowler in a dire County Championship campaign thus far.

Ultimately, personal recognition means little for the 30-year-old, who is Notts through and through.

The story of him working as a grill man at Hooters as a teenager, before manning the gates at Trent Bridge during the development of the Radcliffe Road End is an often told one.

He has spent his whole (cricket) career with his home county and there is no doubt their current malaise weighs heavily.

"It's been an emotional season. We got to the semi-final of the Royal London in May and really backed ourselves in that. We lost to Somerset and we've not looked like winning a game since then," he said.

"I can't put my finger on why it's going wrong. Everything is going wrong at the minute.

"We're dropping catches, we aren't stringing it together for four days.

"We aren't earning the right to compete. It's tough at the minute.

"Before every game you're up for the challenge. You have plans in place and you're positive.

"It's deflating because we can't get anything going. Everyone feels it in their own way.

"For me, I've been here a long time and it's hurting me losing every week. You have individual pride and you have team pride.

"The main thing is club pride. We're down there and we've got a big fight to avoid relegation."

Fletcher took 17 wickets at an average of 21.65 in the Royal London One Day Cup, while he made 138 runs at an average of 34.50.

In the County Championship he has 22 wickets at an average of 24.27. While they are more than respectable numbers they mean relatively little to the player.

"It's not really a consolation. Form is nice but if the team is losing you aren't really contributing," he said.

"Results are what counts. The fact is we're bottom of the league. If we were top, I'd feel like I was doing a great job, but we're bottom, so I don't. The one day campaign was the best I've had with bat and ball.

"It was a shame we lost to Somerset, but they're dominating this season. In the four day stuff, I worked on a few skills this winter that helped me out. I want to get better still."

Fletcher had lean years when it looked like he might leave Trent Bridge by his choice or the clubs.

There were loans to Derbyshire and Surrey in 2015 and 2016, but he knuckled down and is now in fine shape physically, as well working hard to evolve his game.

"I had a couple of years where I didn't really get any better," he said.

"I was doing enough to stay in the team, but not much more. I've improved more than ever in the last year or two.

"I'm contributing with the bat, which I've not really done before. You only realise when you get older that you have to get better.

"There are talented players coming through and if you don't improve you won't play."

Fletcher says credit for his strides of recent years should go to the club's coaches, men who are coming in criticism at the moment - not least head coach Peter Moores.

"I've had a lot of help from coaches," he said.

"(Second team coach) Ant Botha was great with my batting, working on stances. Picky (bowling coach Andy Pick) has really helped me with my wobble seam and trying to get the ball going back into the stumps rather than away.

"I've read a lot on social media about Peter Moores in the last few weeks, but he's made a big impact on me. He's been great."

Nottinghamshire's poor form is 'totally down to the players' and not the coaches

Steven Mullaney addresses his captaincy and just what is going wrong in the County Championship

Nottingham Post's Matt Davies with Steven Mullaney

Steven Mullaney insists Nottinghamshire's current woes have nothing to do with coaching or a laIt is a stark contrast from their Royal London One Day Cup performance, when they reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Somerset.

The captain says the collective performance in four-day cricket is not good enough, but the effort is there - and the problems are not down to director of cricket Mick Newell or head coach Peter Moores and his staffck of effort as he called for the players to turn their form around.

Notts were dismissed for 162 on day one of the County Championship game against Hampshire, before Monday's play was washed out at Welbeck.

Notts are bottom of Division One and have just seven batting points to their name, the second lowest figure in the table.

It is a stark contrast from their Royal London One Day Cup performance, when they reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Somerset.

The captain says the collective performance in four-day cricket is not good enough, but the effort is there - and the problems are not down to director of cricket Mick Newell or head coach Peter Moores and his staff.

"I would hate people to think we're not working hard as a team. That couldn't be further from the truth," he said.

"We've got the right management and coaching staff. I 100 per cent believe it's the best in the country.

"The way we've played is nothing to do with the coaching staff. They give us everything. It's totally down to the players why we haven't played well.

"We need to play well and win games soon.

"It's nothing to do with how hard we're working. It's not to do with preparation and training.

"It's about not making the right decisions on the field at the minute. What's great is that we have plenty of opportunities to put it right, but we need to do that soon."

The all-rounder was praised for his leadership for much of last season after succeeding a club legend in Chris Read.

There were few complaints earlier this summer, but the social media age gives everyone a platform to air their views.

That means Mullaney has come in for criticism of late from some, something he has no problem with as he backed himself to lead the team successfully.

"In any sport, the manager, captain and people at the top get the most negative comments. That's fine. I'm not going to shy away," he said.

"I'll take the bad comments, but all I can say is that every decision I make is to try and take this club forwards.

"I 100 per cent believe I'm the right person to do that. I think the lads enjoy playing under me. I feel the tactical side of my game is pretty sound."

The 32-year-old former Lancashire man has tried to remain unaffected by results, whether positive or negative.

He knows the team is on course for relegation as it stands, but with eight games to go after the current fixture, is challenging the players, especially the batsmen, to get the results needed to climb the table with only one side going down.

"Captaincy is a lot easier and nicer when you're playing well and winning. When you aren't you have to do your best personally and work to help others get better," he said.

"We've had a lot of chats about how we're playing.

"We've not scored enough runs. There's been some positive signs. Not as many as we want.

"We have to use how we batted against Yorkshire and the second innings against Warwickshire as our template.

"People have to take responsibility and front up. We're facing relegation as it stands.

"We want to get some points this week, then Kent next week is a massive game, as they all will be now.

"I wouldn't say we're down in terms of spirit in the group. We're not bouncing off the ceiling, but there are eight games after this one.

"That's eight chances to put in match winning performances for Notts. On different occasions we've been short in all three aspects in the County Championship, most notably batting, but we've dropped chances and not taken 20 wickets yet.

"We're disappointed because we aren't doing ourselves justice as a team. We know it's not been good enough. The top six or seven have to take responsibility for their individual games."

01/06/19

Peter Moores rejects claims of trying to buy success as he outlines long-term vision for Nottinghamshire

The Notts head coach on current struggles, developing players and the team he wants to build

Nottingham Post's Matt Davies with Peter Moores

Three years ago Nottinghamshire's players were split into small groups during the pre-season tour of Barbados.

Each was asked to outline what they wanted the team to achieve during their time there as Peter Moores began his tenure as head coach. As former captain and eternal legend Chris Read went from group to group the consensus was clear - win everything and keep winning.

Two boxes were ticked in 2017 with the Royal London One Day Cup and NatWest T20 Blast brought back to Trent Bridge.

Promotion was achieved the same summer, but winning the County Championship is a far tougher hurdle to clear, especially at the moment.

Notts have not won in 12 games stretching back into last season. Too many of those have been heavy defeats.

They have not scored 300 in an innings in seven of the 12 fixtures with first innings batting a particular problem throughout.

None of this is lost on the head coach, but for Moores, short-term pain is hopefully going to be followed by long-term success.

The emphasis is on brought not bought when it comes to winning trophies, with the former England coach (and the club) irked by a reputation they try to buy success by cherry picking top talent from smaller clubs.

"All the way back at the start in Barbados we set a goal that was to win the County Championship. We were in the second division at the time remember," he said.

"That was our starting point. In the first season we got promoted and won two trophies with the old guard. We introduced a few young players like Tom Moores in the T20 that year, but then the old guard moved on.

"We didn't realise we'd lose players so fast. We've lost Alex Hales in red ball. Chris Read has retired, Michael Lumb has retired, James Taylor retired in very unfortunate circumstances, Greg Smith retired and Brendan Taylor went back to Zimbabwe.

"We lost a lot of our top order. We had to recruit and bring through our own.

"We didn't want to hire in a team. We want to build a team that can have success over a period of time.

"That means evolving our youth system. Under-19s playing for England would be a good indicator and we've had that.

"Jack Blatherwick and Lyndon James were given a chance last season. Luke Wood and Billy Root played, Tom Moores played a full season.

"We saw a fresh injection of our players and identified areas we had to fill from outside. We identified good young players.

"They weren't the finished article but they're players with potential to do well.

"Ben Duckett, Benny Slater, Joe Clarke, Zak Chappell and Paul Coughlin, who has been really unlucky with injury, are players we felt could add to us.

"View us over a period of time. I'd hate the Notts members to feel that the coaches or the club are complacent.

"We're passionate and we're working our socks off to get where we want to be. It won't be easy. Sometimes there are ups and downs.

"This year our side is more suited to one day cricket. It's a bit easier to work out one day cricket than four day cricket perhaps.

"We were very competitive in the Royal London One Day Cup. Four day wise, consistency tends to come with maturity.

"We'll make mistakes. As coaches our job is to make players better.

"It's not a case of flicking a switch and it's done. We have to keep working to get them moving forwards.

"This year is the first with this group. The next challenge is Warwickshire on Monday and we'll try to win that game."

Moores is not looking to sweep bad results under the carpet. He recognises that losing by 244 runs and eight wickets in the last two games to Essex and Hampshire respectively is what no one wanted.

Notts went into the season tipped as title contenders. After four games they are bottom of the table with a game against second-bottom Warwickshire looking slightly worryingly important.

The former Lancashire coach does not want players, especially struggling batsmen, to go into their shells as they scratch for form with only Clarke averaging over 40, while Duckett, Samit Patel and Tom Moores all average less than 25.

"It didn't shock me that we've had a couple of bad games. That happens," Peter Moores said.

"Before the season people said 'you're a great team' but we hadn't done anything as a team. We were a new group.

"We've got good young players. This is part of a much bigger thing we're trying to do.

"We want to improve young players and to develop a team. Hopefully they go on to win a lot of trophies for the club, entertain supporters and have great careers.

"Each batter has his style. I don't want us to become a negative team.

"The batters' job is score runs, the bowlers' is take wickets. Sometimes you get better from making mistakes.

"That's where we're at. We don't want to wait too long (to win).

"We have good enough players to win. We want to keep the players confident and backing themselves.