White-ball debutant Freddie McCann has been relishing a summer of personal success, having burst onto the Notts Outlaws scene with commendable debuts in both the T20 and List A formats.

After making an unbeaten 23 on his maiden Metro Bank One Day Cup appearance, McCann is included in the squad for Notts’ first of two back-to-back home fixtures at the John Fretwell Centre (Welbeck CC), as they entertain Sussex Sharks on Friday at 11am.

Brett Hutton is added to the squad as the Outlaws' sole change.

Having secured his first professional deal in November 2023, impressive performances from McCann with the bat for Nottinghamshire’s second team this year saw him in contention not just for county honours, but for international recognition.

An England Under-19s call-up was hardly a surprise for those who have followed McCann’s progress, but a stunning 174 against Sri Lanka Under-19s - from just 139 balls - raised eyebrows as the all-rounder hit the joint-best ever 50-over score in England Men U19s history.

“It’s been more than I expected at the start of the year and what I set out to do,” McCann said of his summer so far.

“Everything has come very fast, and in the past month it has all accelerated. I was just playing seconds cricket, and then I got an U19s call-up followed by playing for the first team when I got back. I’m very happy with how things have progressed.

“My aim at the start of the season was simply to put in some consistent performances in second-team cricket, with a view to then hopefully getting a few first-team games. So I’m really happy with where things are at.”

McCann adjusted seamlessly to life at the top of the order in T20 when given the opportunity in Notts’ final outing of their Vitality Blast campaign, putting Yorkshire Vikings to the sword at Headingley when the hosts needed a result to qualify for the knockout stages.

Falling just shy of a debut fifty, his 32-ball 48 was one of the highlights of a 28-run victory over the Vikings, striking the lion’s share of his runs whilst in partnership with fellow T20 debutant Sammy King, who also impressed with 44 from 25 deliveries.

“It was great to do it alongside Sammy as I’ve played with him in the second team for the last few years,” he said, “We just wanted to have a bit of fun, express ourselves and see how that would go.

“Before we went out there to play, Joe (Clarke) and Pete (Moores) said to us to just go out and have fun, and in turn when Fletch (Luke Fletcher) presented me with my T20 cap, he said that it’s just like any other game.

“There wasn’t any pressure put on us, so we just went out there and played our own game, which worked.”

McCann followed up his eye-catching debut with another strong showing in Notts’ One Day Cup curtain-raiser against Leicestershire.

Showing his agility in the field, he was a valuable asset on the boundary with three catches in the Foxes’ innings, including a smart diving catch to hand Farhan Ahmed his first List A scalp.

Opening alongside Ben Slater, McCann then tallied 23 from 25 before rain took hold and the youngster was retired out ahead of a death-overs restart two hours later.

“I was very happy with my debut in general,” he said.

“In the field I simply wanted to help the team and show what I can do in that aspect, so it was great to get those catches.

“It didn’t go the way I thought it was going to go with the long rain delay, but it is what it is and I’m really looking forward to going again against Sussex tomorrow.”

With T20 stars featuring in The Hundred or on international duty overseas - Dane Paterson receiving a Test call-up with South Africa - the 50-over competition provides the likes of McCann and fellow young Outlaws Farhan Ahmed, Sammy King, Toby Pettman and Rob Lord a chance to put their skills to the test in a high-pressure environment.

Since signing his rookie deal last autumn, McCann has relished his immersion in the first-team setup.

“The knowledge that everyone has from the tactical side of things has been incredibly beneficial for me, I’ve really enjoyed it," he said.

"You learn so much being around these players who have been around in the game for years and years.

“I definitely see the 50-over as an opportunity to show what I can do. All I’m going to do is keep trying to put in those consistent performances with bat, ball or in the field, and just hope that I can be in the team consistently going forward.”

*******