2015

2015 season

Championship – 3^rd(First Division)
Royal London (50 over) – Semi-Finalists
Nat West T20 Blast – 5^th(Northern Section)
Second XI Champions
Captain (s) – CMW Read (First Class); JWH Taylor (Limited Overs)

The 2015 season was very much a season of two halves for Notts. Bottom of the championship after eight games with a solitary win, they put together a run of five championship wins in six games to finish third.

With new signings Brendan Taylor, Will Gidman, Greg Smith and South African Vernon Philander on board Notts were expected to make a strong challenge.

However, it took six games for Notts to register their first victory, with a maiden century from 19-year-old Luke Wood and career best bowling figures of 6-49 from Jake Ball securing a 159-run win over Sussex at Trent Bridge.

Matt Carter became the first Notts debutant to take 10 wickets in a match since 1847 in their next game against Somerset but that couldn’t prevent a two-wicket defeat at Taunton.

The turning point came as ex-England coach Peter Moores was appointed coaching consultant and player of year Chris Read returned after a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury. 

Notts then beat Worcestershire at home before hammering Sussex at Horsham thanks to James Taylor’s career best score of 291. ‘Titch’ added 365 runs alongside captain Chris Read in the innings and 103 runs victory. There was another win over Worcestershire, this time away from home, before Notts piled on 600 runs to defeat Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. 

Brett Hutton’s 10-106 handed Notts victory over Durham, with Chris Read also taking his 1,000 First Class dismissal in his stellar career.

Riki Wessels, James Taylor, Alex Hales and Brendan Taylor all amassed over 1,000 runs in the season whilst Harry Gurney took 43 First Class wickets to become the leading wicket taker. Jake Ball, Luke Wood and Brett Hutton shared 108 wickets between them hinting at things to come for the young trio.

In the one-day format Notts picked up six wins in the Royal London One-Day Cup, including one over Warwickshire on their first visit to Welbeck, but were defeated by Surrey in the semi-final’s despite a fine 124 from Greg Smith, after Kumar Sangakkara’s sublime 166.

However, Notts struggled in the T20 Blast, failing to qualify for the quarter-finals. Riki Wessels was the leading run scorer with 439 runs whilst Alex Hales provided another highlight by hitting six sixes off consecutive balls against Birmingham Bears at Trent Bridge.

Notts Seconds were crowned champions after an unbeaten campaign, which culminated in victory over Middlesex in the play off at Radlett. The side was coached by Paul Franks who announced his retirement from playing at the end of the season.

Club legend Clive Rice passed away aged 66 a week before the Ashes test at Trent Bridge. The South African scored 17,053 First Class runs and took 476 wickets in his time with the Green and Golds.

England claimed the Ashes for the first time at Trent Bridge in a memorable test match.

Stuart Broad took a remarkable 8-15 on his home ground to bowl Australia out for 60 in just 18.3 overs as England were victorious in just three days by an innings and 78 runs.

Two months earlier England beat New Zealand in an ODI at TB with centuries for Root and Morgan.