Nottinghamshire’s Mark Footitt hopes it will be third time lucky for getting in some outdoor red ball match practice in English conditions when they visit Leicestershire tomorrow (Thursday).

The team played several warm-up matches on their pre-season tour out in Potchefstroom, South Africa, but fixtures against Northamptonshire and Cambridge MCCU have been postponed since their return.

With the first game of the new Specsavers County Championship season at Lancashire next Friday (13 April) fast approaching, Footitt and his teammates are raring to go in their two-day match at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road – providing the weather holds.

“It was frustrating not to get some cricket at Cambridge because we’ve been working hard in the nets both as batsmen and as bowlers and we’re all ready for a game now,” said the left-arm paceman.

“Getting the miles in the legs is as important as the skills at this point – it’s the time in the field that makes you the most stiff and tired.”

“It looked like a decent wicket for this time of year down there and it would have been a good test because it will seam and swing around a bit at this time of the year.

“It will be a good couple of days at Leicestershire, weather permitting, where the bowlers will be looking to get 90-odd overs in the field and two or three spells of bowling leading into Lancashire.

“The batsmen will also be hoping for a decent look and trying to get some time in the middle, but getting the miles in the legs is as important as the skills at this point – it’s the time in the field that makes you the most stiff and tired, not the batting and bowling.”

Despite the lack of game time Footitt, is confident Notts have made adequate preparations going into the 2018 summer, where the Club will look to establish themselves in Division One after promotion at the end of last season.

Footitt himself is returning from a neck injury that ended his 2017 campaign early, making just one first-team appearance following a July move from Surrey.

He said: “I don’t think it’s a worry that our two friendlies so far have been called off because we are ahead of where we need to be in terms of our skill work. We have bowled a lot of overs and hit a lot of balls.

“Mooresy (Peter Moores) and Picky (Andy Pick) are massive on marking the bowlers, where you set a field and mark down how many runs you are going for in an over, which you wouldn’t get in the nets.

“When the batters get out, they have to come out and let someone else go in. It’s like the realism of a proper game. There’s a little bit of competitiveness between batsmen and bowlers.”

“I’m massively looking forward to getting back to playing, particularly here at Trent Bridge.”

At 32, Footitt is now one of the elder statesman in the squad at Trent Bridge, but is just as excited about the start of a new campaign as he was as a youngster.

“I’m massively looking forward to getting back to playing, particularly here at Trent Bridge after the three away games to start with,” he said.

“It’s going to be a tough division with strong teams all around, but hopefully I can help us challenge for the title.”

Nottinghamshire squad to face Leicestershire: Jake Libby, Chris Nash, Steven Mullaney (c), Mark Footitt, Riki Wessels, Harry Gurney, Luke Wood, Luke Fletcher, Samit Patel, Tom Moores (wkt), Jake Ball, Billy Root.

  • The second day of Notts Academy's three-day game at Loughborough MCCU was again washed out after no play on the first day.

*************

You can watch every ball of Notts' scheduled home matches in 2018 - in all three formats of the game including Vitality Blast - by joining our family as a Member. Adult prices start from £38 and you can become a Member by clicking here.