New signing Ben Duckett couldn’t have asked for a better start to life in a Nottinghamshire shirt.
The 23-year-old hit 80 in a fine innings on his debut during the county’s draw with Yorkshire at Trent Bridge.
Fellow home debutants Ben Slater and Kraigg Brathwaite also impressed with the former hitting a century and the latter contributing 71 as Notts secured maximum batting points for the first time this season.
Following the impressive batting display, Duckett believes Notts can take confidence from the Yorkshire game into the crunch game with Essex, which starts tomorrow (Monday 10 September).
“I think most of the batters are in good nick after last week,” he said.
“It wasn’t an ideal pitch for the bowlers and the seamers, but everyone gave their all and got plenty of overs under their belt, so I think everyone is pretty ready.
“We’ve had four or five players last week who have had time in the middle and Samit down the order got fifty odd.
“So when you’re batting, scoring runs and spending time out there you can take that into next week.”
After the draw with Yorkshire, Notts leapfrogged this week’s opposition to reclaim third spot in Division One.
Heading into the penultimate red ball game of the season, Duckett thinks that Notts don’t need to change much from their performance against the White Rose county.
“I think we’ve played pretty well last week,” he said.
“If it hadn’t have rained I think there could have been a result in this game and the way Samit bowled was very good.
“If it’s a similar wicket going into next week I probably wouldn’t change too much.
“They’ve got a great seam attack and especially on that wicket there if it’s going to be turning with the likes of Harmer it will be tricky, but with the confidence the batters have got this week it should be a good game.”
Duckett was Notts’ third new signing in a number of weeks after the arrivals of Brathwaite and Slater and he believes that the batch of fresh blood has had a good impact on the dressing room at the club.
“It’s definitely a positive dressing room when you’ve got new guys coming into your team,” he said.
“There’s a good core here and it’s vital that the new guys coming into the team are performing and giving back to the side so it’s great that all three of us are in good nick.
“Coming to a new place it’s not just the players you’re playing with, it’s the supporters and the fans as well so it’s nice to show the people who turn up to watch what you can do.”
Despite a good opening knock at Trent Bridge, Duckett was disappointed to not reach three figures but a century for his new county is still within his sights.
“It would be lovely to get a hundred,” he said.
“80 is a great start for me but I was very disappointed to not go on and get the three figures but I’ll try and kick on next week.”
Harry Gurney misses out on the game with Essex through injury whilst Lyndon James is named in the squad for the very first time.
Nottinghamshire squad to face Essex (from): Jake Libby, Steven Mullaney (c), Mark Footitt, Luke Wood, Matt Milnes, Luke Fletcher, Samit Patel, Tom Moores (wk), Ben Slater, Will Fraine, Kraigg Brathwaite, Ben Duckett and Lyndon James.
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