Samit Patel insists Notts Outlaws can end Warwickshire’s unbeaten start to the Friends Provident Trophy season and maintain their own hopes of a semi-final place.
May 13: Friends Provident Trophy
Notts Outlaws v Warwickshire Bears
Start time: 10.45am
Tickets cost £13 for adults and £7 for concessions, £33 for a family ticket for two adults and two under-16s.
The Bears are top of the North Conference with three wins out of three but Notts know a win would keep them in touch with the top of the table, and Patel believes the Outlaws are ready to produce the goods.
He said: “We’ve played very good one-day cricket in our last two matches and even in the opener against Yorkshire I thought we did pretty well.
“What was missing there was a batsman who kept on going once he got a start and we’ve had that since then. We have a well-organised game plan and everyone knows their roles.
“It’s up to the batsmen to set the game up for us and we all know what’s expected. If we get through the first 15 overs at a reasonable rate and don’t lose too many wickets, we have the middle order to produce big scores consistently.
“Our bowling is so strong that it almost takes care of itself and the fielding has been sharp. If we put all the ingredients together again we’ll be well placed to beat Warwickshire.”
Notts injury news:
Will Jefferson is in contention to make his Notts debut after finally appearing to shake off his pre-season hamstring problem. The 6ft 10ins opener was fit enough to take the field as 12th man during Notts’ Championship fixture with Middlesex this week and may come into the batting line-up.
Rob Ferley is also in the 13-man squad.
Notts squad:
Gallian, Bilal Shafayat, Wagh, Hussey (capt), Patel, Read (wkt), Ealham, Swann, Clough, Sidebottom, Shreck, Jefferson, Ferley.
Warwickshire one to watch:
Dale Steyn - an out-and-out fast bowler, the 23-year-old South African is enjoying a short stint in county cricket with his country’s selectors keen for him not to be run down.
He has picked up 42 wickets from 11 Tests so far but looks likely to become a regular international in the future. In the meantime the right-hander has been in the wickets at Edgbaston, leading the way for the Bears with 23 victims in all competitions.
He also helped himself to only the second first-class 50 of his career against Surrey in the Championship last week.
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