Matthew Carter says Nottinghamshire are determined to finish the season on a high, as he prepares to return to the scene of his debut heroics.

The 20-year-old off-spinner recorded first innings figures of 7-56 against Somerset, en route to a ten wicket haul in the match, in the fixture at Taunton in June last year.

He has since made two further Specsavers County Championship appearances and it set for a recall on a surface that’s been helpful to spinners for the majority of the 2016 campaign.

“What I did during that game will stay with me forever,” he says of the 2015 performance.

“And looking at the people getting wickets for Somerset, it’s predominantly spin at the minute, so the pitches are obviously taking a lot of spin, which is encouraging for me.

“I’ll try to bowl my best. If I do that, hopefully I’ll get the outcome I deserve.

“If you don’t bowl well, like anywhere, you get nothing. It’s as simple as that.

“They’ve just beaten Yorkshire to stay in the title race and they’ll be properly up for the fight,” added the six foot six inch Lincolnshire product.

“That means we’ve got to be as up for it as they are.

“The season hasn’t gone well and we’ve been relegated, but nobody wants to end on a low.

“All the lads want to win to go out on a bit of a high rather than a complete downer.

“It’s for our members and supporters as well. We want to play well to give them something positive to end the season.”

Carter, who is set for a stint in Wellington working closely with Warwickshire and New Zealand’s experienced off-spinner Jeetan Patel, says he’s been successfully honing variations with the ball in second team cricket this summer.

“It’s been coming out really nicely,” he says.

“I’ve taken most of my wickets during the second half of the season when the pitches have been taking more spin.

“Even before that, I never went for massive amounts of runs, so I’ve been pleased with my form throughout the summer really.

“I bowl a normal off-spinner and an arm ball that swings away from the right hander, a bit like a seamer,” he adds.

“If you’re playing on a pitch that’s going to predominantly reward bowling it slowly, you give it more flight and your variation is to stick the odd one in that’s quicker. If that ball grips and bounces, you’re well in the game.

“My height helps me quite a lot because you get bounce. If it spins as well, you’re flying.”

Carter is likely to find himself employed in a triple-pronged spin attack in the West Country, with Imran Tahir and Samit Patel also keen to cash-in on the notoriously dry conditions.

Tahir will strive for wickets, Patel will contain. Carter is hoping for the best of both worlds.

“I try to mix attacking and defending together," he says.

“If your main strike bowler is on at the other end and your job is to contain, you go into that mode.

“If you’re on top and feel like you can take wickets from either end, both bowlers can attack. If it starts to get away from me, I can go back into defensive mode.”

 

Nottinghamshire squad to face Somerset (from): Jake Ball, Matthew Carter, Harry Gurney, Brett Hutton, Jake Libby, Michael Lumb, Tom Moores, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Chris Read (captain), Billy Root, Greg Smith and Imran Tahir.