Harry Gurney hopes bowling well for Nottinghamshire can propel him back into the international reckoning.
The 28-year-old left-armer missed out on selection for the ICC Cricket World Cup but, following England’s disappointing campaign and the subsequent appointment of Trevor Bayliss as coach, he hopes to be part of his country’s limited-overs plans again in 2015.
Eoin Morgan’s men commence their white ball summer with the Royal London One-Day Series against New Zealand, the fourth match of which takes place at Trent Bridge on Wednesday 17 June.
Gurney is striving to be involved, but believes his best chance of selection lies in the T20 format, in which England play the Kiwis on 23 June and Australia on 31 August.
“Particularly in T20 I’ve got a lot to offer and hopefully I’ll be selected for those games over the next couple of months,” Gurney said.
“If I manage to force my way back into the ODI setup as well, then that would also be fantastic and I’m working really hard behind the scenes to improve my game and put some pressure back on in that setup as well.
“Had the new coach been Jason Gillespie for example, he’s a bloke that’s been around the county circuit for a while and would have seen what we can all do. He’s seen me bowl on a number of occasions over the last few years.
“It’s a fresh set of eyes, but Trevor has got Paul Farbrace and the selectors who watch an incredible amount of county cricket, so I’m sure he’ll be really well advised.
“Hopefully I’ll get to play under him and experience his management style at some point this summer.”
Gurney’s next opportunity to impress the England management is Sunday’s NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Durham Jets and – with the north-easterners topping the North Division table – the former Leicestershire man knows the Outlaws must be at their best with both bat and ball.
“Durham are a dangerous side,” he said. “You look through the north group and anyone can turn you over if you’re not right on your game.
“There are some dangerous players there that we’ll have to come up with some plans for.
“If you bowl badly in that format, generally you get punished, so we’ll have to bowl well and, whether we bat first or second, put together a solid score.
The visit of the Jets is likely to see T20 globetrotter Darren Sammy make his Outlaws debut and Gurney is excited to have the West Indian all-rounder on board.
“What we’ve got with Darren is a very widely experienced campaigner who has competed right at the top level and won a T20 World Cup,” Gurney said.
“With Riki going in right up at the top, he’s traditionally been a good rope clearer for us towards the end of the innings.
“But we’ve still got some good players in that middle order and Sam Wood and James Taylor can hit the ball miles.
“Throw Darren Sammy into the mix as well and it gives you that depth. It also gives the batsmen around him that confidence to go and play with a little bit more freedom.
“As well as launching his trademark bombs into the stands, he also offers us a little bit of variety during those middle-overs with the ball also.
“Samit Patel and Stephen Mullaney are absolutely outstanding during that period and have been for a number of years, but it’s always nice to have an alternative to mix things up.
“So he’s going to add a lot with both bat and ball and, from what we hear from Alex Hales who knows him quite well, he’s going to add a lot to the changing room as well.
“He’s a bit of a character and we’re all looking forward to meeting him.”
Having triumphed as captain of the West Indies at the 2012 ICC World T20, Sammy knows a thing or two about winning in the shortest format of the game.
So, mind you, does Harry Gurney, having taken 23 wickets during Leicestershire Foxes' successful campaign of 2011.
Having been there before, albeit missing finals day through injury, the 12 time England international is certain that the current Notts side is capable of taking the title.
“Winning the competition with Leicestershire was one of my career highlights,” he said.
“I played all the way through the group stages and the quarter-final, but unfortunately missed finals day with a side strain, so I’d be delighted if I got the opportunity to get back there and experience it with Notts.
“I’ve been in a side that’s won it, myself and James Taylor, and I do know what it takes.
“When I look around the Notts dressing room, ever since I’ve been here, we’ve certainly got a squad that’s capable of winning it.
“It’s just a case of, once we get to those knockout stages, a little bit more luck, coming out on the winning side, getting ourselves to finals day and use the momentum from there.”
Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast Fixtures & Ticket Information
v Durham Jets – Sunday 31 May 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Leicestershire Foxes – Friday 5 June 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Saturday 27 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Worcestershire Rapids – Friday 3 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Derbyshire Falcons – Friday 10 July 6.30pm BUY TICKETS
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