Chris Nash is determined to maintain his excellent first-class record when he walks out to bat for Nottinghamshire in the 2018 season.

The opening batsman has signed a three-year-deal to keep him at Trent Bridge until the summer of 2020, following his release from Sussex.

Nash has made more than 11,000 first-class runs to date, averaging 38.72, with a significant portion of those coming in Division One of the Specsavers County Championship.

“Being at a new Club can give you a kick and a new challenge to go for.”  Chris Nash

With Notts ready to return to the top flight following promotion from Division Two in September, the 34-year-old is keen to use all his experience to help his new Club become established at the higher level.

“I hope I can get runs for Notts in Division One. My record previously in Division One has been excellent and something I’ve been very proud of,” said Nash.

“If I can replicate that for Notts then I’ll be really happy, and being at a new Club can give you a kick and a new challenge to go for.

“Before that, it’s just another winter of really hard work so that next year we can look to replicate the success the team had this year.”

Cuckfield-born Nash will be moving up to Nottingham after signing on at Trent Bridge and has already started the process of house hunting.

He is also looking forward to getting to know his new teammates having previously spent 26 years at Hove, being with the south coast club from the age of eight.

Nash said: “I’ve played against a lot of the guys – your Mullaneys, your Wessels and your Patels – for a number of years, and over that time you get to know the guys.

“They seem like a great bunch and I just can’t wait to get stuck into training.” Chris Nash

“Hopefully it will be quite easy to settle in. They seem like a great bunch and I just can’t wait to get stuck into training with them and get to know a lot of them a lot better.”

Head Coach Peter Moores, who gave Nash his first senior contract at Sussex, knows exactly what he is getting with the former England Lions opener.

“He’s got a good record playing here at Trent Bridge and, one-day wise, it’s a great place to bat with the excellent batting pitches that are prepared by our groundstaff,” he said.

“Championship-wise, he is our sort of player. He looks to move the game forward, he’s an aggressive batsman, and plays in a style that I think will suit our team.

“With losing Michael Lumb, Chris Read and Brendan Taylor, we have lost some seniority in the batting department. We’ve had some really good performances from the likes of Billy Root, who has forced his way into the side this summer, but you also need experience around that.”

Nash has played much of his four-day cricket as an opener, but Moores insists where he will bat in the Notts order has yet to be decided.

The former Loughborough University student’s batting slot in the one-day sides will also be up for discussion over the winter.

“One of the nice things about signing a senior player is that their experience means they are adaptable to roles that need to be fulfilled.” Head Coach Peter Moores.

Moores added: “It’s something to look at moving forward. Having spoken with Chris, he is flexible as a batsman and has played in different spots.

“One of the nice things about signing a senior player is that their experience means they are adaptable to roles that need to be fulfilled within the team.

“We’ll sit down with Chris over the winter, get to know him again as a player – the last time I worked with him was a long time ago – so we can talk about where he’s at in his game, what he wants to work on over the winter and how to help him go out relaxed and ready to play.”

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