Nottinghamshire return to red-ball cricket this week with the arrival of Yorkshire, who currently top the LV=County Championship Division One table.

Captain Chris Read has welcomed this return with open arms, and a clear vision of what he wants from his side going into the final six weeks of the season.

“I want to win some games of cricket,” he said.

“It would be nice if it started this week at home; you have a little control over your wickets and your ground and in the past Trent Bridge has been a real fortress for us.”

“This season it’s been a bit more difficult, we’ve found it hard to get twenty wickets here so it would be nice if this week we can go ahead, do that and win an important game in front of our home fans.

"There’s a lot for us still to play for, and I’m looking forward to the last six weeks of the season."

Much has been made of Nottinghamshire’s record in four day cricket, but with five games to play in the LV=County Championship, Read was keen to take encouragement from recent performances and keep looking up the table.

“I take responsibility for the way the team plays,” he said.

"if we get on a roll then challenging is possible, but it has to start pretty soon.” Chris Read.

“Ultimately we haven’t played as well as I would have liked this season, but we have put in some really strong performances away from home, on flat pitches at Hove, or at Somerset.

“Still, two wins is not putting us up there with the leaders of the pack. That’s not to say that we can’t get there, if we get on a roll then challenging is possible, but it has to start pretty soon.”

If Nottinghamshire are to finish the season positively, then a good result against Yorkshire will be key, but with the visitors eyeing the title on their first season back in the LV=CC Division One, Read is under no illusions of the task at hand.

“Yorkshire have had a really good time in this competition so far, but there’s a lot of cricket still to play,” he said.

“It’s very rare that a championship is won in August, unheard of, even.

“It’ll be a good challenge for us, they’re a very good side, but we’re a good side too. It should make for an excellent four days of cricket.”

Nottinghamshire will be forced into a change to their side with batsman James Taylor representing the England Lions this weekend. While his loss will be keenly felt, Yorkshire have faced similar disappointment with Gary Ballance also called up on international duty.

“It’s an interesting one one when you lose players to England and the Lions,” said Read.

“Ultimately we’re trying to create cricketers for Test Match and ODI cricket, it’s great for James to have another go with the Lions and really stake his claim for selection in England’s Test side.

“When it’s one a side and their leading batsman is called up it does balance things out,” he added.

“We have no complaints either way, we’re all trying to better ourselves and get these players playing for the international sides.”

 

Nottinghamshire squad to face Yorkshire (from):  Steven Mullaney, Alex Hales Michael Lumb, Riki Wessels, Samit Patel, David Hussey, Chris Read (c), Ajmal Shahzad, Luke Fletcher, Andre Adams, Harry Gurney, Jake Ball, Graeme White