Steven Mullaney feels his side’s recent run of Vitality Blast form is testament to a simplification of their approach, as the Outlaws bid for a fifth successive T20 victory of 2023 when they travel to Northampton (Sun 18 June, 2.30pm start).
Conor McKerr is back in the squad on a two-week white-ball loan deal, with Jack Brooks having returned to Somerset.
“The lads think it’s the red hats [supplied by club sponsor John Pye Auctions] – we’ve not lost since we started wearing them,” joked Mullaney when asked about the catalyst for Notts’ white-ball revival.
“But I think it’s down to the way we’ve reconnected as a squad.
“We’ve been really clear in a couple of meetings about the roles each player has, we’ve worked out plans to certain batters in certain situations, and we’ve been smarter in our use of the bigger and smaller boundaries
“We’ve just simplified things, and then stuck to our plans and executed them well.”
A notable feature of the Outlaws’ recent Blast outings has been a renewed commitment in the field – something which captain Mullaney feels the squad’s newest arrivals best demonstrate.
“Our fielding has definitely gone in the right direction,” he said.
“Mooresy [Peter Moores, Head Coach] and Kunny [Kunal Manek, Analyst] mark each fielding performance, and our fielding has had a positive impact over the last four games.
“Over those early games we really got to know where each player’s best fielding position was.
“You’ve got the likes of Shaheen [Shah Afridi] adding a different dimension in the field, and [Matthew] Montgomery’s been amazing too.
“But Calvin [Harrison] makes a huge difference. He’s quick, athletic, has good hands and seems to save runs in every game.”
McKerr returns to the Notts party for a second loan spell of the summer, having picked up four wickets in as many appearances in his first fortnight at Trent Bridge.
For Mullaney, ensuring the short-term signing feels integrated into the Outlaws ethos has been crucial.
“Both Conor and Jack have really bought into the way we want to go about things,” he said.
“Conor’s a great guy, he’s eager to learn, and we’ve made sure that his wife and little girl felt part of the group as well, with all the other wives and loved ones.
“The sign of a good environment is when people come in and don’t want to leave, and hopefully we’ve got that here.”
The fixture will be Notts’ first in the T20 format at Northampton since a Joe Clarke-inspired 14-run victory in 2021.
Clarke hit a breathtaking 136 on that occasion, and with the right-hander having completed a remarkable double-century in the County Championship in midweek, Mullaney feels he is well-placed to make another sizeable contribution.
“When we played Northants recently in the four-day game, I noticed that it looked like something had clicked with Joe,” he said.
“Then he got 70-odd against Lancashire, and since then he’s been a man on a mission, and has looked like a world-class player to me.
“The temperament he demonstrated to bat for the best part of nine or ten hours last week was remarkable.
“But he’s really threatening in this format too. He’s got us off to some quick starts this year, which is what we want from him.
“He’s got that aggression at the top of the order, and you feel like one of those starts is going to turn into a big score sooner or later.”
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