As we aim to rid the April showers beneath the brighter, lighter, skies of the summer towards, the 2022 county cricket season is nearing upon us with kick off, bowl off, bat off, toss off, whatever you want to call it, tomorrow, Thursday 7th April, for many of the nation’s first class cricketing clubs, Nottinghamshire of which are one, and they travel to Sussex for a second division match at Hove.
The confusing state of affairs in the County Championship of late has seen Notts relegated to the second tier despite finishing third and half a point away from a Bob Willis final in last seasons tampered and tinkered edition much shortened league system.
COVID, not that again, the reason for the alterations in structure, it was agreed by all participating clubs prior to the 2021 campaign end that things will resort back to where we left off in 2019 before the global pandemic, the year Notts were relegated from Division One without winning a game.
In the four-day format, things in 2020, behind closed doors didn’t go much better than the year previous, Notts drawing three and losing two of their five matches played, but in 2021 the club returned to winning ways after near three years without red ball success, Notts eventually claiming seven victories in fourteen games split over two groups which ended with the side missing out a championship battle on the narrowest of margins with Warwickshire beating Lancashire in a final at Lords.
This year the return to two divisions is straight forward, Nottinghamshire will be one of the favourites to gain promotion back to where they feel they belong, but rumours that the ECB may tamper again in the future could leave much to the imagination as those in charge aim to make cricket ‘sexy’ again… The Bob Willis Trophy is off limits for 2022, but that’s not to say it couldn’t come back, having been a brilliant end to proceedings over the last couple of seasons.
So a straight forward shootout for promotion? What of Notts who kick off the campaign with a trip to a side that finished bottom of their group last season and bottom of division three in their second phase of a summer they would rather forget. One win, nine losses and four draws made it a woeful campaign for Sussex, who at least have Australian wicket-keeper Josh Phillipe and former Nottinghamshire batsman Cheteshwar Pujara to pick at their disposal in 2022, the Indian International however won’t be available for the season’s opener against his old club due to issues with his visa.
Nottinghamshire will welcome Haseeb Hameed back from England duty in Australia and the former Lancashire opener will be looking to continue his improving partnership with Ben Slater.
Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke have been in scintillating form in pre-season with big things expected from both batsmen (England pending perhaps?), the youthful likes of Lyndon James, Liam Patterson-White, Joey Evison and Calvin Harrison exciting with the ball, the three aforementioned half decent with the bat, whilst the side has strength and experience in depth, captained again by Steven Mullaney, the countries leading red ball bowler Luke Fletcher will partake as always with a smile on his face a year ahead of his testimonial campaign whilst Tom Moores keeping wicket will not only add security behind the stumps, but a good level of run scoring when called upon with the bat.
Jake Ball and Stuart Broad to come, as too are Dane Paterson and James Pattinson, Brett Hutton included and Notts pose one of the finest pace attacks in the world, let alone the division.
With the fabulous 1st Central Ground in Hove set to play magnificent backdrop to the season’s opener for our green and golds from tomorrow morning through to Sunday (if all goes to plan), those who are not able to attend, can watch this and all this season’s games on the ECB app and via YouTube.
Nottinghamshire XIII: Steven Mullaney (c), Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Joey Evison, Luke Fletcher, Haseeb Hameed, Calvin Harrison, Brett Hutton, Lyndon James, Tom Moores, Liam Patterson-White, Ben Slater, Toby Pettman.
Weather watch: Thursday is said to be mostly cloudy but bright in Hove whilst Friday has a small chance of rain particularly late morning/early afternoon. Saturday is scheduled to be sunny with highs of eleven whilst Sunday again should be clear throughout most of the day.
Venue & time: The County Cricket Ground, Hove, Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th April 2022.
*Main image @TrentBridge Nottinghamshire posed for their team photo in last weeks snow.
