Director of Cricket Mick Newell has stressed the need for the Notts Outlaws batsmen to stand up and be counted as they look to bounce back from defeats in their two opening matches in the Twenty20 Cup.

The Notts top order has collapsed against both Durham Dynamos and Lancashire Lightning and going into their floodlit clash with Derbyshire Phantoms at Derby tomorrow, Newell is looking for sizeable contributions.

He said: “There’s no point in chopping and changing your line-up in a competition like this but at the same time we have to think about how much time we are going to give the batsmen to get things right.

“I think we will need to win three of our next four games before the competition takes a break, if we want to be in contention for the quarter-finals, and we need more runs from the top order to do that.

“You do want your batsmen to be aggressive and go for their shots - it’s the only way to be in Twenty20. But it’s important that they pick the right shot for the right ball and execute that shot correctly.”

Opener Alex Hales echoed Newell’s thoughts and said: “It’s important we stay positive and look to use the powerplay in the opening stages. With only two men outside the ring, there are spaces to exploit and room for boundaries.

“We’re on the back foot a bit at the moment, but if we can bounce back and put a couple of wins under our belt we’ll be right back in the tournament.”

Newell is unlikely to change his team for the meeting with Derby and hopes Ryan Sidebottom and Graeme Swann can produce match-winning performances in what will be their final appearance before the ICC World Twenty20 begins.

Added Newell: “Both lads made good contributions with the ball and in the field against Lancashire and it’s important we make the most of them tomorrow.”

Squad to face Derbyshire:
Ali Brown, Alex Hales, Graeme Swann, Adam Voges, Samit Patel, Will Jefferson, Chris Read (capt/wkt), Mark Ealham, Ryan Sidebottom, Darren Pattinson, Luke Fletcher, Kevin O’Brien, Jason Brown.