Overseas batsman Ross Taylor has applauded Steven Mullaney’s ‘outstanding’ start to his reign as Nottinghamshire Captain – and hopes he can help his new skipper keep the momentum going.
The Green and Golds won their first game under the all-rounder’s leadership, against Lancashire at Old Trafford by six wickets.
Taylor, who has made 370 international appearances for New Zealand across all three formats, was impressed by what he saw both from Mullaney and the team in the North West.
Now the challenge is to take that form up to Headingley for the match against Yorkshire – Specsavers County Championship Division One winners in 2014 and 2015 – for the match which begins on Friday.
“If I can use my experience now and then to help Mull out, that’s great.”
“As a first game as captain, it couldn’t have got much better for Mull at Lancashire, it was outstanding, and I’m delighted for him,” said Taylor, who was handed his county cap prior to the match starting.
“I was happy to be stood in the slips next to him for some of the time and help him out where I could with the odd bit of advice, having been a captain myself. If I can use my experience now and then to help Mull out, that’s great.
“We’ve got off to a good start as a team and now we’re just trying to re-focus and go again at Yorkshire, which will be another good test for us.”
Taylor only landed in England last Monday (9 April) and had little time to get accustomed to his new surroundings before he was travelling to Manchester for the season-opener.
The 34-year-old has now had a little more time to get his bearings and is enjoying the experience, especially now the weather has improved.
The right-handed batsman said: “It’s been great to get a net here at Trent Bridge and the sun was out for the first time too – I almost had to put some sun screen on at one point!
“We have a great team atmosphere and I’ve been welcomed really well by everyone at the Club and I’m looking forward to exploring Nottingham more while I’m here.
“We have a great team atmosphere and I’ve been welcomed really well by everyone at the Club.”
“I’ve also been gradually getting into the sleep patterns and I think I actually slept through until about 6am this morning.
“As the season goes on, I obviously hope to make my contribution with the bat and it was great to take my first catch (the wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul) as part of the slips at Lancashire.
“We hope the wicket will be a little easier to bat on at Headingley than it proved to be up at Old Trafford, but we will just have to wait and see how it plays.”
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