Nottinghamshire return to LV=County Championship action this week with a trip to Lord’s to face Middlesex just two weeks before Notts return to the capital for the final of this summer’s Yorkshire Bank 40.

Notts all-rounder Steven Mullaney played a pivotal role in sending Notts to the YB40 final, taking 3-35 as Somerset were reduced to 119 all out, but is focussed on the county's task at large, retaining their LV=CC Division One status.

“It’s hugely important that we put last night to the back of our minds,” he said.

“We need to switch our mentality very quickly back around to four-day cricket, we have two very important matches before we go back to Lord’s for the final.

“We need to focus our attention on the County Championship for the next two weeks.”

“The final won’t be a distraction, there is enough experience in the team to get away from that,” added Mullaney.

“The fact is that we need to win a game and more than that, we need to put in two very good performances and keep our first division status.

“It’s good that we have those players to come in, the likes of Andre, Fletch and Franks bring experience and quality to the side.

“It also gives us a chance to rest players that might need it, but whichever eleven take to the pitch at Lord’s this week will need to work hard and perform.” 

Notts will have been boosted by their bowling performance against Somerset, taking all ten wickets in 25.4 overs. They have found it difficult to close innings in recent outings, and this performance will have brought heart to the Notts bowlers.

“We closed two innings against Warwickshire and were unlucky because of the weather,” said Mullaney

“It’s what we’ve struggled to do, but hopefully we can do it again this week.

“We’ll need to bowl well, and we have the quality to do so.

“The first priority will be to secure our status in this division, and then start to look up the table." 

Middlesex currently lie 13th in the LV=CC table and after taking apart Surrey in their last outing will be in confident mood. Mullaney was under no illusion of the task at hand, and their opposition’s strengths.

"They’re a very strong side, led by Chris Rogers, who has just played in The Ashes,” he said.

“They have Sam Robson, who has scored a lot of runs and a good bowling attack. It’ll be a tough test for us; Ollie Rayner has just come back from taking fifteen wickets in a game.

“All of that said, I’m really looking forward to my first game at Lord’s.”

 

Nottinghamshire Squad to face Middlesex (from): Andre Adams, Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, David Hussey, Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Chris Read (c), Ajmal Shahzad, James Taylor, Riki Wessels.