Luke Fletcher says he is "absolutely chuffed" to be getting the chance to prove to people he can play Twenty20 cricket.

The Notts Outlaws bowler has often been spoken about as more of a County Championship red-ball specialist, but is happy to have shown his skills with the white ball in recent weeks.

A spell of two for 29 in the home win over Derbyshire the week before in the T20 Blast was followed by a match-winning contribution of three for 21 when defending a low total in the victory against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge on Saturday. 

"It was nice to come back in and bowl at the death because it's a responsibility that I like," he said.

"I'm absolutely chuffed that I've got an opportunity to come back into the team, I've been waiting for it for a while now and it was nice to prove to people that I can play Twenty20 and that I am not just a red-ball bowler and that I can contribute in these formats as well.

"I wanted to prove to Mick Newell and the rest of the team. This is a big club and it is important that when you do come into the side that you do step up to the level that is required and I'd like to think I've done that.

"We are all starving and desperate to play, but we understand with the games coming thick and fast in all formats it is important to rotate the bowlers so they all stay fit."

Fletcher (pictured celebrating one his wickets) struck with the key wicket of arguably the best T20 batsman in world cricket – Aaron Finch – and in his second spell he bowled a wonderful yorker to dismiss the dangerous Adil Rashid before producing a tight last over of the match that went for just two runs and included the wicket of Oliver Robinson, also bowled, to seal victory.

But the Nottingham-born 25-year-old was keen to share the limelight with the rest of his bowlers, who helped defend a low target of 144 to seal a 22-run success. 

"We desperately needed to take wickets in that six-over powerplay and we did that, and after that our slower bowlers just killed it and the run-rate kept going up and up and they kept losing wickets and that just killed the game for us," he added. "It was a great team effort, everyone has got a role in this team and we all stuck to them.

"We killed it really in the middle overs, that run out of Adam Lyth was absolutely unbelievable (by Steven Mullaney) and we got a couple of wickets there and Samit (Patel) got Adam Lees out who was the danger man.

"We all backed each other really well to get the result."

For news, previews, reports and reaction visit the Nottingham Post.

 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast fixture and ticket information:

v Leicestershire Foxes – Sunday 20 July 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

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