For a man who has taken 111 wickets and scored 1,367 runs in T20s for Notts Outlaws, you may think Steven Mullaney would be a relaxed man about the initiation of a new Vitality Blast campaign.
But the all-rounder, who is part of a 15-man squad for the Outlaws’ clash against Worcestershire Rapids at Trent Bridge, admitted his enthusiasm is palpable on the eve of the season opener, and is hoping Nottinghamshire’s recent red-ball form will help them get out the gates.
“The nature with which we have gone about our cricket in the last few weeks has been relentless and ruthless,” Mullaney said.
“We will take that forward with the excitement of a new competition. We have got a core of the same players, with new guys coming in to breathe fresh air into the group, and that is great for us.
“We have a settled side who have played together for a long period of time. Everyone is flexible with where they bowl and bat, and that togetherness will help us in the pressure moments.”
This year, Outlaws’ overseas star, Dan Christian, will resume captaincy of the side following a stint with the Australian national team in 2021 which kept him out of the Blast.
And Mullaney - who captained Notts in his absence - says the globetrotting all-rounder has made his expectations clear ahead of the tournament starting.
“Dan talks about the fact that we don’t need to peak tomorrow - that needs to be Finals Day, should we get there," said Mullaney.
“But equally we want to start the tournament well. Watching the lads and how they have gone about training in the last week or so, I think we are all ready and excited for it to begin.
“There are a lot of good teams, and we have done our homework on Worcestershire, but at the end of the day we know our skillset and we are confident.”
And for the Club Captain, the prospect of donning the green and gold in front of a raucous home crowd provides the greatest cause for anticipation.
“We have had a lot of members in for the red ball games which has been really good,” Mullaney said.
“I love playing in front of our home support; we go out to entertain, and on nights under the lights here we try to do just that.
“Hopefully we can put on a good show tomorrow, and throughout the competition, and execute our skills for them to enjoy.”
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Be More Outlaw: The 2022 Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge
Notts Outlaws, the 2017 and 2020 Vitality Blast winners, return to T20 action at Trent Bridge this summer from Friday 27 May to Friday 1 July. Pin your green and gold colours to the mast by securing your seats now.
Purchase your Season Ticket here...
Friday 27 May, Notts Outlaws vs Worcestershire Rapids: Secure your seats…
Sunday 29 May, Lightning vs Southern Vipers (Charlotte Edwards Cup): Secure your seats...
Monday 30th May, Notts Outlaws vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks: Secure your seats…
Tuesday 31 May, Notts Outlaws vs Lancashire Lightning: Secure your seats…
Friday 17 June, Notts Outlaws vs Birmingham Bears: Secure your seats…
Tuesday 21 June, Notts Outlaws vs Leicestershire Foxes: Secure your seats…
Thursday 23 June, Notts Outlaws vs Derbyshire Falcons: Secure your seats…
Friday 1 July, Notts Outlaws vs Durham: Secure your seats…