Ben Martindale feels role clarity has been key in the Metro Bank One Day Cup so far, as he prepares for a quarter-final against Yorkshire at York (14 August, 11am start).
Martindale is part of a 15-man squad for the knockout clash, with Olly Stone and Dillon Pennington both available following their stints in The Hundred, and Jack Haynes in contention following injury.
The Academy graduate has enjoyed an extended run as an opening batter in the competition, hitting his maiden senior century against Kent at Beckenham.
Having forged an alliance at the top of the order with Freddie McCann, Martindale believes the bonds the pair have nurtured throughout their time in the Notts pathway are bearing fruit.
“It’s role clarity,” he said.
“We’ve got a really nice setup. I’ve played with Fred quite a lot , so it’s quite a nice touch to open the batting with him.
“Then we have the stability and class in the middle order – so having familiarity with the guys coming in, and knowing how my game works with theirs, is really helpful.”
Martindale’s match-winning knock has been followed by crucial contributions with the bat from the likes of Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Verreynne and George Munsey in recent games – and Martindale feels anyone in the squad is capable of turning in a matchwinning performance.
“Everyone is capable of winning a game for the team, so if one or two of the lads get that right we can get in a really good spot,” he said.
“We’re confident with what we can do with bat and ball.
“We’re feeling good. We’ve been playing a lot of good cricket throughout the competition, and we’re playing well at the right time.
“I feel like as a group we’re all contributing, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
Tomorrow will be a third consecutive game on the road for Notts, following fixtures at Cheltenham and the Kia Oval.
Martindale feels the run of away fixtures leaves them well-prepared for a trip to York – and potentially Leicester – in the knockout stages, before the incentive of a Trent Bridge final awaits.
“I think we’ve got used to it, being on the road, so we’ve got a bit of familiarity with that,” he said.
“It’s a shame we can’t play at home, but we should be absolutely fine.
“We’ve had a lot of familiar faces following us throughout the competition – at Welbeck, Chesterfield and even the Oval – so it’ll be nice to see them at York too, for what I’m sure will be a competitive game.”