After five years with Notts, and as the first man to lead the Outlaws to the T20 Blast title, Dan Christian’s place in the Trent Bridge history books is assured.

As he prepares to embark on his sixth season in green and gold, the T20 skipper has spoken of his pride at enjoying such a fruitful stint with the club.

Christian returns to Notts as part of a 14-man squad for the trip to Emerald Headingley.

“This is comfortably the longest I’ve spent at a club as an overseas player,” he said.

“To be going into my sixth season here is something I’m really proud of. I’m really proud of the success we’ve had as a club over that period, and that’s why I keep coming back.

“I love the ground, I’ve made some really good friends here and I love Nottingham, so it’s always been a really easy decision to come back.”

The revised fixture schedule for the 2020 edition of the Blast is hectic, with Notts set to play out their ten-game group stage in a little over three weeks.

Globetrotter Christian, however, is familiar with the pros and cons of a more congested format – and feels it could play to his side’s strengths.

“The nature of the season, with games being played back-to-back, will be really good for us,” he said.

“There’s a really positive feel around the group already, because the guys have been playing some good cricket in the past few weeks – even if they’ve not put the wins on the board in those four-day games.

“We’re certainly out to win the Blast, and I genuinely think we can. I don’t think we played anywhere near our best cricket last year, but we got to Finals Day and should have won that semi-final.

“With the experience and the hurt of losing that semi last year, we’ll all be keen to turn that around. Those kinds of feelings – of wanting to right a wrong – can really drive you on.”

"To be going into my sixth season here is something I’m really proud of. I’m really proud of the success we’ve had as a club over that period, and that’s why I keep coming back."

Christian’s competitive spirit has been in evidence throughout his tenure with the Outlaws – both in the field and during impassioned dressing-room addresses.

It is a character trait the Australian admits has been with him since childhood.

“I like winning. I’ve always been like that ever since I was a kid, whether that was with board games or playing in the back yard or whatever,” he said.

“I guess that can rub off on everyone else in the changing room, but in reality all of us are proud of our performances and the way we go about things.

“The beauty of cricket is that you know you’re not just doing it for yourself; everything you do is for the team and the guys around you.”

Whilst that competitive edge is sure to be undimmed this year, there can be no doubt that behind-closed-doors Vitality Blast fixtures will bring an unfamiliar atmosphere to a usually-electrifying Trent Bridge.

It is a hurdle, however, that Christian is backing his side to overcome – with the help of those absent supporters.

“It’s professional sport, so you’re always out there trying to do the best you can,” he said, “but it’s awesome that the members and fans can still watch and support us from home.

“Just knowing there are messages of support coming in, or that tens of thousands of people are watching us, can certainly go a long way to helping us over the line.”

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