Nottinghamshire Academy captain Paul Franks has challenged his players to respond after consecutive defeats have seen them drop down the Premier League table.

Plumtree and Attenborough have picked up victories over the young side in recent weeks and Franks’ men now face a crucial period of three games in ten days.

With high-flying Welbeck first up tomorrow, Franks is hoping his players can be more consistent and pick up an important win.

“It has been frustrating over the past couple of weeks as we haven’t been consistent enough is the three facets of the game,” Franks said.

“Our new ball bowling has been sporadic, with a few good overs and as a result we have given up the pressure and given easy scoring opportunities.

“Against Plumtree we didn’t bat as well as we could have and as well as Bobby Gamble bowled we needed to find a better method to score runs on that wicket.

“Our extra count has also been very high for an aspiring group of professional cricketers and we have to get that down.”

Despite the losses the Academy find themselves just 14 points off top of the table Caythorpe after the first four rounds of games.

Franks is hoping his side can eradicate the small errors in their game and go on a winning run that can see them challenging at the top again.

“The message I want to get through to the lads are that small errors can throw the game away in the blink of an eye,” he said.

“Welbeck have recruited well over the winter and have some good experience so it will be good to see where they are at when we face them.

“The sides that we put out will be varied in order to rest players but the core will stay the same and I am looking for one or two of them to take the game by the scruff of the neck and lead from the front.

“My expectancy level rises every week and we need to be moving in to that second third of the season in good shape.”

“They need to be able to see the likes of Luke Wood and Brett Hutton and how they have progressed to know they have the chance if they want it,” he said.

“If they are all prepared to do the extra they can move in to firsts and achieve the career they set out to do.”

Academy Squad For Welbeck/Radcliffe: Dal, Webster, Tillcock, Freeman, Marshall, Wyatt, Keast, Patterson-White, Kitt, Franks, Parker-Cole, New, Walton, Bowles, Moores