Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Moores has encouraged the senior members of the Outlaws’ white-ball side to be role models and provide young players with the platform for long-term success, as Notts continue their hunt for knockout qualification in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Luke Fletcher is brought back into the 14-man squad to face Surrey at Guildford on Sunday (11am), with Moores having marked his 250th career appearance in Wednesday’s contest at Glamorgan.
“It creeps up on you when you realise you’ve made that many appearances," said Moores.
"Coming into Trent Bridge every day is still a very special feeling, and that never goes away.
“I still feel the way I did when I was a young player; to hold onto that excitement of youth is special and I hope that never goes away.
“It feels like I’ve blinked and it’s all gone by so fast.”
A three-time trophy winner with Notts, Moores has tasted glory more often than gloom - the yin and the yang of professional sport - and knows, just as well as any member of the dressing room, the ingredients required to grow a winning formula.
“Winning those trophies with Notts will always be the highlight,” Moores said, “This year has been a bit of a transitional year but even looking back at when I started, I was that young player when there were all these faces in the dressing room who are all over the Notts history books.
“There were some great times and great learning experiences as well, which I hope I can pass onto the guys that are now coming through like Ben Martindale, Freddie McCann and the like.
Only 20 years old when he lifted the Outlaws’ first ever T20 Blast trophy in September 2017, the multi-faceted batsman now has first-hand knowledge of what the new kids on the block need in order to thrive.
“It’s vitally important in any good dressing room to have those senior players who you can look up to and want to be like,” he said.
“Now I'm making that transition to being one of those more senior guys in the team, it’s time for myself and others to take on the role of being a role model for the younger players and holding ourselves up as a good example for them.
“I remember being that young player sat in the dressing room looking across to all those great players. I looked up to the likes of Dan Christian, and always watched how he trained and asked him for advice.
“There is a lot of pressure that comes with playing for a club with the standing of Notts, but that experience has stood me in great stead the long run. I couldn’t thanks Notts enough for that opportunity and for playing as many games as I have.
“That expectation runs through you and you expect a lot from yourself; ultimately, that brings its own pressures but if you want to be one of the best counties, you have to set those standards for yourself."
Having travelled around the world playing an array of franchise cricket, Moores feels he has found his role in the white-ball formats, and hopes he can utilise his skillset to aid the Outlaws’ One Day Cup campaign this year.
Tasked with finding 55 runs in under four overs, Moores gave the Outlaws a fighting chance in a tough DLS-affected chase over Leicestershire with five boundaries off 11 balls. A 28-ball 37 in Neath, meanwhile, significantly boosted his side's chances against Glamorgan.
“I’m in a middle-order ‘finishing’ role which I really want to make my own,” Moores explains.
“It can be quite an unforgiving role, and you need to be selfless at times, especially when you walk out into the middle and need to strike at 150 or 200 in order to get a result. Sometimes you need to wallop your first ball for six because that’s what the game requires.
“It’s about being adaptable. There are times when you require a calm head, and other times it’s uncertain whether you should take a ball on or not. You don’t always get the glamorous score because you may not have the time to, and sometimes it takes a quick 40 to change the game.
“Having made some mistakes but also had some winning moments, that experience has helped me moving forward. Now I've got a great opportunity to try and pass that on in the 50-over.”
The Outlaws successfully made the John Fretwell Centre a “fortress” with back-to-back wins in the Welbeck weekender, but overcoming the home advantage of an outground is their next task as they set their sights on Surrey at Guildford.
“Looking at the two games we’ve come up short in, conditions were very tricky in the Glamorgan game and our top four batters had a totally different challenge to the opposition’s top four. But with more games being at outgrounds, that’s something we need to be adaptable to," he said.
“We’ve shown that at Welbeck, where we used conditions to our advantage really well. It’s also about converting a few of those tight games, which can be the difference between going all the way and not qualifying.
“Going to Guildford, we’ll want to try and assess the conditions as fast as possible, because we know that on an outground the home team will use their knowledge and hope that the away team don’t get to grips with the surface until it’s too late.
“We’ve got a huge opportunity to qualify for the knockouts and do something special. It’s an exciting year for us in the 50-over and there’s an exciting feeling around the group. Momentum is a massive thing and if we can keep ourselves in the qualifying spots, we know that anything can happen.”
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