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Nottinghamshire host Warwickshire this week in the penultimate LV=County Championship fixture at Trent Bridge this season.
Sixth placed Notts are 26 points and one place below the visitors, and victory will see them take a huge step toward avoiding relegation into Division Two.
With the disappointment of a ten-wicket loss to Yorkshire still fresh in the memory, Notts seamer Harry Gurney was keen for the side to make amends for the poor result.
“It’s a game that we’re desperate to win,” he said.
“It’s getting a little tight at the bottom of the table and we need to make sure that we’re playing division one cricket next year and keep looking up the table rather than down.
“It’s a match we have to win and kick on through the last four fixtures and perform to a higher standard."
Nottinghamshire have announced an unchanged XI, with James Taylor returning to England duty as part of their ODI squad to face Ireland, offering the players who turned out in the Yorkshire fixture to put in an improved showing.
“We’re all keen to go out there and prove a point." - Harry Gurney
“We didn’t perform well as a team against Yorkshire here,” said Gurney.
“We’re all keen to go out there, prove a point and hopefully we can vindicate our selection in the XI.”
Gurney has performed consistently for Nottinghamshire this summer, taking wickets in all forms of the game. However, with the side struggling to kill off sides by taking 20 wickets, more has to come from their bowling attack.
“It’s been going well from a personal point of view,” said Gurney.
“I’m quite happy to have made the contribution that I have, but we need to be taking more wickets.
“I’ll be able to finish the season happily if, in these last four games, I can make more signification contributions and finish with more than 40 First Class wickets.”
Other matches in this round of fixtures include a second v third clash as Durham face Sussex, and the bottom two go head to head too, a fixture that Notts will have one eye on over the four days.
“Somerset play Derbyshire this week, if there’s a result down there then one of those two teams will lose, pushing them further below us,” said Gurney.
“We’re feeling confident and ready to go against Warwickshire and if we win this week then it sets up a push up the table.
“We need to be putting the ball in more consistent areas, and of course, gain a first innings lead with the bat when the opportunity arrives then that’s something we really have to do.”
Nottinghamshire XI to face Warwickshire: Steven Mullaney, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Samit Patel, David Hussey, Riki Wessels, Chris Read (c), Ajmal Shahzad, Luke Fletcher, Andre Adams, Harry Gurney.
Warwickshire XI to face Nottinghamshire: Varun Chopra (c), Keith Barker, Maurice Chambers, Laurie Evans, Recordo Gordon, Ateew Javid, Pete McKay, Jeetan Patel, Steffan Piolet, Ian Westwood, Chris Woakes