Stuart Broad is set to return to the Outlaws’ 50-over side for the first time since 2015 as Notts turn their attentions to the Royal London One-Day Cup at Worcestershire tomorrow.
James Pattinson has been rested following three straight starts in the Specsavers County Championship, but Billy Root could make his white ball debut if selected at New Road.
Having started the new season with three straight wins in four-day cricket, fast bowler Harry Gurney is hoping the side can take their supreme form into the shorter format.
“It’s certainly nice to go into a new competition on the back of some momentum,” he said.
“We’re all looking forward to it very much. There’s room for a cross-over of form from one competition to another.
“We’ve all sat down this week to thrash out how we are going to go about our 50-over cricket this year.
“One of the things we need to address is how we can remain relentless, throughout.
“We started well last year but didn’t qualify. We’ve got to do better right throughout the group stages because I believe we’ve got the quality in the squad to get to the knock-out phase. Now we’ve got to stop talking and start doing.”
Gurney took 19 wickets in the qualifying stages last year, putting in the sort of performances that saw him play in ten One-Day Internationals for England in 2014.
His successes catapulted him into the top four positions in the Most Valuable Player rankings and, with it, a spot in the inaugural North v South one-day series that was held in the United Arab Emirates in March.
“Last year went well for me personally and I was pleased to make one of the automatic spots for the North v South series,” he said.
“To get into those positions was certainly something that was talked about within the game and there was a lot of banter flying within the various dressing rooms and on social media.
“I got off to a good start last year and kept taking wickets, so I always thought I was in with a chance of making the North squad.
“For a while it looked as if we might have had three or four other Notts players in with a chance.
“I loved being out there for the series and thought it was very worthwhile. It was run brilliantly by the ECB.
“Andrew Strauss was very passionate about it and couldn’t have done it any better.
“Personally, I felt a bit under-cooked but that couldn’t be helped.
“I’d been wintering in an indoor school, whereas some of the lads were coming into it from England tours, Lions tours or the Big Bash, so they were ahead of me in match fitness but that’s understandable.
“I believe in it and it is certainly the right time of the year to hold it.”
Gurney warned against complacency as the Outlaws begin their campaign with two tough matches.
“Both Worcestershire and Yorkshire have some dangerous players but we are excited to be getting it underway at Worcester.
“We always enjoy going there and especially so for this one, as we don’t go to New Road in the championship this year.
“It will be important to start well because we have three matches in six days.
“Begin well and you are sitting pretty, start badly and you are up against it.
“Then it’s Yorkshire at home. That will be tough but we can’t wait for it.
“All the England boys look like they will be available and they always bring a large following to Trent Bridge, so we are very much looking forward to that.”
(Notts Outlaws begin their Royal London One-Day cup programme this week with fixtures v Worcestershire (away) on Thursday 27 April and Yorkshire (home) on Saturday 29 April.)
Notts Outlaws squad to face Worcestershire (from): Brendan Taylor, Chris Read (captain), Stuart Broad, Riki Wessels, Alex Hales, Harry Gurney, Luke Fletcher, Samit Patel, Greg Smith, Brett Hutton, Jake Ball, Michael Lumb and Billy Root.