Dane Paterson played down the achievement of taking 100 First Class wickets for Nottinghamshire, instead focusing on the job in hand as the Green and Golds sit 22 points away from guaranteeing the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two title. 

With a lead of 27 points presently, Tuesday’s trip to Worcestershire represents the first opportunity for Notts to seal red-ball silverware, a success paceman Paterson will have been at the very heart of. 

Paterson has become the fastest to 100 First-Class wickets for the county since Franklyn Stephenson in 1988, taking just 22 matches to reach the landmark. 

The South African conceded he is delighted with a return of form which has taken him to within one dismissal of 50 First-Class scalps for the second successive season.

“It’s kind of surreal, taking 100 wickets in two seasons,” he said, “It wasn’t a goal, but certainly when I knew about it, I was taken aback. 

“You get made aware that you are ten away from a landmark and things like that, and maybe you set yourself a target from there, but to potentially take 50 two years in a row is surprising. It is because of the hard work of the coaches and playing with a great attack.

“I am making it hard for myself, too, because I have set a precedent, but I want to get better every year. I have been playing the game for so long but I am still learning.

“When I first came here, Shiney [Assistant Coach Kevin Shine] made improvements to my action. It might not seem like it, but behind the scenes it feels like a massive change and those tweaks have helped in a big way.” 

The Trent Bridge faithful have become accustomed to a passion purveyed in Paterson’s unique style, manifested through grit and determination with ball in hand and a cheerful call of encouragement in the field. 

It is the support he shows his teammates, and their respect given in return, which the 32-year-old says has created the cohesion required for success this season.

“We are a tight knit group in the dressing room, and if someone scores a hundred or takes a five-fer we are all happy for them,” he said.

“We are good at celebrating each other’s successes and that’s what makes us a strong team. 

“You’ve got to adapt to what is in front of you, and that is what we have done so well this year. In the middle part of the season, between white-ball games, we cracked on well in a period where we could have slipped.”

It may be tempting to dream of what could happen in the near future with divisional silverware within touching distance, but Paterson refuses to be drawn into that line of thinking. 

Indeed it is by the same game-by-game approach Notts have used all season which the South African thinks will bring about the tally of points required. 

“It is a carrot that is dangling, but we don’t want to think too far ahead - that is our mindset,” Paterson said. 

“We are not looking at what other teams are doing, either, just focusing on ourselves. In a 100m race, the leader can be overtaken by second or third, but we don’t want to stumble at the end. 

“We had an unbelievably good net on Thursday morning. It felt like proper match intensity. This time of the year with a maximum of eight days of cricket to play, to have practice at that level shows that we are hungry to win this.

“Everybody is excited for the challenge, I don’t think we are nervous but we are looking forward to it, cracking jokes and laughing, going on like the next game is as important as any other."

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Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival

Tickets for the return of the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival are on general sale now.

Following a successful staging in 2021, Trent Bridge will again play host to Nottingham CAMRA’s flagship event from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 October.

The 2022 edition of the festival will feature an expanded range of bars and barrels extending across additional concourse areas, with extra seats available within the venue and new hospitality packages.

Tickets

Hospitality