Ben Slater believes the key to Nottinghamshire’s continued positivity in their pre-season preparations lies in being adaptable.

The opener will be one of 13 faces to represent the Green and Golds during their opening friendly of the English summer against Leicestershire, which begins tomorrow (Wednesday 26 March).

“We’re thinking that our main themes this week are to just get used to the conditions back in England,” said Slater.

“Although we did some good work over in Abu Dhabi, conditions will be quite a bit different in England, and especially for the batters. I think, batting-wise, it will take a bit of adapting to.

“We just need to use this week to get used to those conditions again, with focus on what the ball is going to do over here."

While noting that there are similarities between the UAE and the UK, Slater stressed the importance of taking as much as possible from the behaviour of the red ball on English pitches.

“I think, in Abu Dhabi, the wickets were OK, if a bit slow,” he said. “Over here, while the wickets are also quite slow in early season, the ball tends to do a bit more laterally.

“That’s something we didn’t really get in Abu Dhabi, so it will be a different sort of challenge, and it will be a case of getting used to the pace of the wicket, and the movement of the ball.”

Naturally, Slater’s focus is squarely on wielding the willow, but he made specific time to speak of how the entire Notts squad is gearing up to face the Foxes, including the bowling attack.

“For the bowlers, it will be a case of getting overs in their legs and minutes in the field,” he explained.

“They’re on programmes from Shiney [Kevin Shine], where they have to bowl a certain amount of overs in a week.

“With that, it will just be a case of them getting their overs in to build them up to a point that they can bowl as many as required when that first game does arrive.”

With just over a week to go until Durham visit Trent Bridge to begin the 2025 Rothesay County Championship season in earnest, Slater is champing at the bit to get underway.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “I think, when you’re over in Abu Dhabi, it doesn’t feel that different. It doesn’t feel like the season is almost here.

“When we had our first net outside after arriving back, that’s when it feels like it’s coming round and it’s almost time to start getting yourself ready.

“This is now the last push where it feels more real than ever, and where we know we need to be ready at the end of it.”

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