Haseeb Hameed feels that staying in the moment will be crucial as Nottinghamshire look to secure silverware in the final fixture of the season.
Hameed’s side enter the game against Warwickshire (24-27 September, 10.30am start) with a 14-point advantage over second-placed Surrey, needing a maximum of ten points to be crowned champions.
The captain is part of a 15-man squad for the fixture, with Josh Tongue missing the fixture as the ECB manage his playing programme ahead of a winter of international cricket. Calvin Harrison is included following a fruitful loan spell at Northamptonshire.
“For us it’s about doing the same things as we do for every game – not looking too far ahead, and trying to stay present,” said Hameed.
“It’s a really competitive division this year so every game has been a big game, and this game is no different.
“The boys have prepared well again, and the focus is on ourselves – making sure we do our things really well to give ourselves a chance of coming away with the result we want.”
In the immediate aftermath of the thrilling 20-run victory over defending champions Surrey at the Kia Oval, Notts players crossed the field to say thank you to the members and supporters who had travelled to London to cheer their side on.
And the opener, who has recorded over 1,000 Division One runs this season, is looking forward to enjoying the backing of a home crowd this week.
“We’re lucky to be here for the last game of the season,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll have brilliant home support as we always do, and I’m sure we’ll be up for it and give ourselves a great chance of putting in a performance over the next four days.”
Hameed stood in as skipper in Notts’ trip to the Oval in 2023, as the Green and Golds secured a draw that was crucial in their fight to retain their place in the top flight.
But he admitted that the magnitude of last week’s contest was altogether different.
“It was very unique in terms of the way things stood going into the game, with two really strong sides and just one point between them,” he said.
“It was always going to be an exciting game, and I think that did mean the intensity was raised.
“It was great to have so many different people contribute to the win, but ultimately I’m really proud that were able to play our cricket in the way we wanted to. We knew that if we did that, we’d have a good chance of beating anyone.
“We knew it would take every ounce of our effort to get over the line, and I’m really happy that the boys put in the work in the way they did. They took some unbelievable catches, bowled some amazing spells between them and contributed to a massive win.”
*******
