Essex seamer Sam Cook is set to make his England Test debut on the hallowed Trent Bridge turf this week, a ground at which he has previously enjoyed flourishing domestic form.

And although his fine performances of past have been noteworthy, including a match-winning ten-wicket haul against Nottinghamshire in last year's Rothesay County Championship season-opener, the Trent Rockets and Essex bowler is keen not to dwell too much on the past.

It’s a ground he holds fond memories of thanks to his time with Trent Rockets, a side which he’s been a key part of since the trophy-winning summer of 2022.

“I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time with The Hundred here, so I’ve got to know the ground very well," he said.

“It’s always a great pitch to play on - Trent Bridge tends to have decent carry, you always feel in the game as a seamer that if you do nick someone off that those nicks are going to carry.

“I’ve been lucky to have some decent spells here in recent times, but in cricket you can never rest too much on what’s happened before, you’ve got to look forward.

“I’ll try and draw on those experiences, but I don’t want to get too comfortable by resting on those previous performances here, and just focus on putting in a few more wicket-taking overs.”

The 27-year-old feels the England camp is offering the perfect environment to help him achieve that goal and improve his overall game.

“It’s been intense; I feel very fortunate to be part of it and test my skills. It’s an environment I’ve wanted to be a part of for a long time and it’s only natural you want to raise your game when you’re training with and against these guys.

“It’s a big year coming up and I’ve been nothing but massively impressed by everything I’ve seen from the facilities and the support staff and everything. It's phenomenal to be a part of and it makes you want to continue to be a part of it going forward.

"I’m inspired to try and want to perform continually at this level.

The best environments make you want to get better and improve and test yourself. The coaches we’ve got here are some of the best in the world, so you’d be silly not to try and tap into them and try and improve your game.”

At the head of that setup is Brendon McCullum, whom himself enjoyed two matches here as a player, before his 'Bazball' playing philosophy came to fruition in his first visit to Trent Bridge as England’s new Head Coach in an unforgettable Test against New Zealand in 2022.

An inspired onslaught from Johnny Bairstow led England to victory and a 2-0 lead in the Test series against McCullum’s home nation, with England's attacking style prominent as Bairstow almost broke England’s 120-year-old record for their fastest Test century.

In a situation where England were chasing what looked like an unachievable target, England put on an aggressive and attacking show, with Bairstow’s brutal assault followed by the two Bens (Foakes and Stokes) seeing out the highest successful Test chase at Trent Bridge.

England’s Head Coach is relishing the chance to get a busy year for England underway at the world renowned venue, known for hosting memorable Test matches.

“We’re extremely excited - it’s a big year for us. We don’t want to look too far ahead though, knowing that this game has a funny way of tripping you up if you don’t give it the respect it deserves," he said.

"And that starts this week against Zimbabwe.”

And the New Zealand native is looking to harness the energy of the Trent Bridge faithful this week.

“We want England fans to feel part of the journey with us as a team," he said.

"We want to take them along for the ride starting at Trent Bridge - and the opportunity to do that here is something that we can’t wait for.”

England's bowling attack may be relatively inexperienced at Test level, but McCullum is confident in the talent amongst the ranks, and referenced the importance of building a battery of fast bowlers, which includes Nottinghamshire’s Josh Tongue, who has made a significant impact in the Rothesay County Championship this season following his return from injury.

“Going into this Test match week, we’re excited to have Sam Cook make his debut and we’re thrilled Josh Tongue will be back after a sustained injury period," he said.

"We’ve got Gus Atkinson leading the attack after a breakout year for him last year, and also Ben Stokes back from injury as well.

“I feel like we’ve got a nice varied attack. Yes, we’ve got some youth and inexperience - but a lot of these guys have been around this group for a while now and they know how it all operates.

"They know the messaging from us is very simple - to go out there and look to try and take wickets and put pressure on the opposition.

"But at the same time enjoy it, because you are representing your country - and what a great opportunity these guys have got this week at Trent Bridge.”

See Ben Duckett and Josh Tongue in action on their home turf this week, with the stage set once again for another enthralling Trent Bridge Test match.

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