Chris Read is intending to use every ounce of his Twenty20 experience to help Notts Outlaws to victory over the Worcestershire Rapids on Friday.
The 36-year-old made his debut in the format back in its inaugural year, 2004, and has gone on to make 107 appearances in the format.
He was left out of the side for the early matches of the 2015 campaign prior to missing a month of the season through injury.
Having made his comeback for this week’s four day fixture against the same opposition, Read is raring to start catching and striking the white ball again.
“It’s been a while since I played T20 cricket in Barbados, and being out injured has been frustrating,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to getting back playing that form of the game, and we need to build some momentum.
“The boys played really nicely at the weekend against Northamptonshire - now let’s get the ball rolling and get some wins under our belt.”
Notts will be without James Taylor, Luke Fletcher and Andrew Carter after the trio picked up injuries in the LV= County Championship fixture which concluded on Thursday.
“The only white ball cricket I’ve had this year was when I was trying to get fit for this championship game,” Read continued.
“I played two Twenty20 games in Oxfordshire for the second team and got a hit with the bat. I’ve also had a couple of nets with the white ball, so things might be a little bit rusty, but hopefully I’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”
Although he has been watching from the sidelines during the tournament so far, Read has been delighted to see a succession of five figure attendances at Trent Bridge, generating the kind of atmosphere in which he and the Outlaws team love to perform.
“The crowds here are fantastic - Saturday afternoon was over 10 thousand again which is brilliant," he said.
“It’s obviously a big draw to come and watch the NatWest T20 Blast down here at Trent Bridge, the weather has been fantastic and we’ll look forward to entertaining another big crowd.”
Read’s contribution to the entertainment will include his usual fireworks with bat and gloves, as well as using his vast experience to keep the team calm in difficult situations.
“My wicketkeeping will be on the positive and aggressive side,” he said. “Also batting down the order trying to score some runs and clear the ropes, whether that be setting a total or trying to knock them off.
“The other thing to bear in mind is being a senior head out there in what can be a high pressure environment.
“Every ball is an event in T20 and the game can shift so quickly. Hopefully I can bring a bit of calmness and sanity to what can sometimes be a crazy 20 overs.”
Notts Outlaws squad to face Worcestershire Royals (from): Jake Ball, Dan Christian, Will Gidman, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Chris Read, Greg Smith, Riki Wessels and Sam Wood.
Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast Fixtures & Ticket Information
v Worcestershire Rapids – Friday 3 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Derbyshire Falcons – Friday 10 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
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