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Huw Turbervill The Cricketer
Peter Trego’s SOS request in The Cricketer has been answered… by Nottinghamshire.
Notts head coach Peter Moores has snapped up the former Somerset allrounder on a two-year deal, to play all forms of the game.
The contract will take Trego, one of the county game’s great characters, into his 40s.
“Mooresy wanted a character around the younger lads,” Trego told The Cricketer. “He said he could sense my desire and passion. Training starts on January 6 – I am back on it. I will be living in Nottingham, and I can’t wait!”
He showed he still has what it takes last summer, with a Royal London One-Day Cup century against Essex at Taunton. He also made three figures for Devon against Oxfordshire at Sidmouth.
First-class opportunities had all but dried up in recent seasons, but it is not difficult to see how effective he could be at No.6, bowling a few overs, and lifting the young squad around him with his charisma, knowledge and humour.
It is an important year for Notts, as they try to bounce back into Division One of the Championship, and put their disappointment on Blast finals day behind them (they lost to Worcestershire in a semi-final that went down to the last ball).
Moores added: “He’s got 20 years of experience in the professional game and has a strong reputation as a player and how he goes about his cricket.
“I’ve had good conversations with him about his passion to carry on playing, but also to offer something back to the game.
“He’s an all-round player; batter, bowler and fielder and he will also offer another layer of support to some of our younger players.
“We’ve lost a lot of experience from our dressing room, so Pete adds balance to our squad in terms of age and experience.”
Trego wrote a farewell piece to Somerset in The Cricketer in the autumn.
“After 19 years of pulling on a Somerset CCC cricket shirt, this is really is going to be a tough write for me,” he penned. He recalled a first net session, facing Andrew Caddick and Andre van Troost.
“I was about to face England’s premier fast bowler and the bloke who’d just rearranged Jimmy – of West Indies – Adams’ face in a recent tour match, the infamous Andre van Troost. That name may only ring bells for those who really know their county cricket, but I assure you, everyone that’s ever stood 22 yards away from Rooster will never forget the name!
"Not only was Rooster the fastest bowler any of us had ever seen, the slight downfall to him becoming a cricket legend was the fact his radar I believe was designed by Kim Jong-un, that issue accompanied with a tendency to throw in regular beamers.
“It didn’t bode well for any batsman, especially a 15-year-old one. So after 10 minutes of playing and missing against Caddy and the other 10 minutes of ducking and weaving, my net was over, the relief that I was still intact was soon amplified by [coach] Robbo, who wandered over to say “Well done lad, you’ll be travelling to Derby with the team tomorrow.”
He ended with a plea to the other 17 counties to throw him a lifeline.
“After all the years I’ve played as a professional, this is my Rocky IV moment. This is the moment where I find out what I’ve got in the basement, and I’ve never felt more alive or hungry! I now need someone else to get in my corner and let me fight. I want to keep playing county cricket. I can offer you real value in the Blast, and boost your squad for the Royal London One-Day Cup when 96 players will be at The Hundred.”
It worked. Trego’s back.
Well Happy Christmas to the 2 Peters and let's hope for good things for you 2 and Notts in the New Year
ReplyDeleteWould have been nice to have still had Couglin on board, But I guess the attraction of home was too strong.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that about Coggers, I did feel that like a lot of the Notts team he was a little on the quiet side, Not so our new Pete, Cricket in the modern age seems to lack characters, Whatever you may feel about PT's age there is no denying the zest he brings to his and his teams cricket.
If Trego offers something similar to another older all rounder Notts signed a few years back then I think we will all be more than happy to welcome him to the best ground in the country
It may not be the best team , But we are working on that !
A good signing.
ReplyDeleteYes Coughlins departure is a huge void. If we'd wrapped him in cotton wool and he somehow stays fit, he is a big player over the next 5 years. We haven't had a bowler who can genuinely bat 8 since Franks and Ealham. But I guess there's no point keeping a player who may be sulking if he didn't get his move back to his home county. Like Haseeb, PT is a gamble signing, but after all we are desperate and he's a fit bloke probably near his early thirties in real terms as he's obviously looked after himself well.
ReplyDeleteYes Stoney, you are right on all counts
DeleteIn essence, Coughlan joined Notts, as did Clarke, to play first
Division cricket. When the opportunity presented itself to return home , he obviously concluded that Durham were now
better placed to mount a promotion challenge.
irrespective of the other reasons he quoted. For me though, he bowled far too short and wasn't as consistent, or more importantly, as fit as Hutton, the man he replaced
Like you say Trego is a fit guy, but his bowling quality has dimished over the past couple of years. I think he will be more useful to Notts as a batsman,hopefully playing a similar role to that of Chris Read.