Mick Newell - photo by David Baird
Twenty20 is the cricket format that's taken the world by storm since its ‘invention’ in 2003 (well, invention at pro’ level; humble clubbies have been doing it for yonks, snatching a quick game on a Wednesday night after work and finishing in gloom). After something of a fallow period spent getting their heads around it – during which time even unfashionable southern neighbours Leicestershire have won it twice – Notts are starting to get pretty decent. Last year, it took a miracle catch to knock them out at the semi-final stage, and this year they’ve qualified from the banana-skin-strewn minefield of the Northern Group without even getting a bead on. Scott Oliver caught up with Outlaws’ straight-talking Director of Cricket, Mick Newell, just before the final group game against Worcestershire, when an already-qualified Notts still attracted almost 9,000 (their biggest crowd of the round-robin stage) to a throbbing Trent Bridge…
Very satisfactory work, Mick, guaranteeing yourselves a home quarter-final; do you think the people of Nottingham will come out and fill the ground?
Well, I think that what’s helped so far is good weather, a good team, and some high-profile publicity. That’s what’s got people into the games. So, with a home quarter-final, if the weather’s good over that weekend, I think we can be hoping for 10-to-12,000 [capacity is 15,000], there’s no doubt about that.
Perhaps the Playboy Bunnies your marketing guys are rumoured to have hired to stroll round the ground offering free massages will also help with that?
I leave the marketing to the experts [Media Manager Michael Temple was sat beside him].
I believe the game will be played on either Friday 6 August to Sunday 8 August, depending on what Sky dictate. Do you get a different crowd, depending on the time, and is there a preference?
From a player’s point of view there’s no great preference. You probably get more of a family crowd with the afternoon starts, which could be on the Saturday or the Sunday, but it’s the school holidays anyway so you’ll be hoping for a decent turnout. I think we do pretty well in terms of not attracting the pissheads, if you like, but hopefully it’ll be a good atmosphere whichever day we play and whichever team comes.
What has pleased you most about your performance this year in the T20?
That we qualified easily; that we haven’t taken it down to the last couple of games. Other teams are in our wake, if you like. And I think that some of our performances have been excellent. We’ve put some faith in young players and they’ve come good, so it’s been encouraging from that perspective, too.
Has anything surprised you about the team, pleasantly or otherwise?
Well, I suppose I’m surprised by how comfortably we’ve qualified. To have qualified with four games to go [out of 16] is an outstanding performance, given that 4 out of 9 teams can get through.
The home matches have followed a remarkably similar pattern – you’ve batted first in every single game, posted at least 180 in all of them bar one (Warwickshire), and won them all comfortably (other than the rain ruined game against Leicester). Pleasing for TB to be such a fortress, but is there a danger you might come unstuck if you suddenly have to play a different way?
It was an issue and we had to make sure that by the time we got to the quarter-finals we’d played some matches where we batted second and chased a target. The only thing we haven’t had to do is chase down what you’d call a big score: 180, 190. And that’s always going to be a bit of a doubt in the back of your mind: if someone makes that sort of score, can you chase it? All we can do is play on the same type of pitches we’ve played all our other games, which will be designed to be a high-scoring match, because that’s the way that seems to suit us at the moment.
You spoke about T20 being a good opportunity to blood youngsters. Are you happy with the role played less experienced guys – Andy Carter and Scott Elstone, for instance?
Yeah, and not just them: Alex Hales is only 22, Luke Fletcher’s 22, and Steven Mullaney’s 23. So it’s a very young team in a lot of areas, which I think you need in T20 – a combination of youngsters with plenty of energy and enthusiasm for the game, plus some experienced players who can perform under pressure. So, I think we’ve got a good blend between the two and the younger ones have done excellently depending on whatever the situation has thrown at them.
Your talismanic skipper, Dave Hussey, went back to Australia halfway through the campaign – will he be back for the quarter-final?
No, for the quarter-final, the only overseas player will be Adam Voges. Tamim Iqbal isn’t available either and you can’t bring in a player who hasn’t played in a group match.
What did you think of the job done Tamim, one of the world’s more exciting young cricketers? And are there plans to have him back?
Yeah, well we’ve have to look at the format of the tournament next year, his availability, and his interest in playing. In two of the games out of five he’s played a major part in victories, and he played pretty well at Old Trafford even though we lost. T20 is a hit-and-miss game, percentage-wise, so his record will stand up pretty well.
Because of the fixture calendar, there’s a chance you’ll have England boys Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad available, for both the quarter-final and the Finals Day in Birmingham (Saturday August 27). I know Birmingham is not most people’s idea of a good day out, but I assume Swanny and Broad will be keen. Does that present a dilemma, given your winning combination?
I’d be surprised if they’d be allowed to play in the quarter-final, given the proximity of the Test match. But for Finals Day last year we had all three of them [including Ryan Sidebottom]. I mean, if they’re available, they’ll play as far as I’m concerned. You work around picking your best players. We’d be daft to leave out our best cricketers, then lose and think ‘we should have played them’.
I assume you’re going to say, in the time-honoured fashion, that you’re “not bothered who you play in the quarter-final”. However, bearing in mind that this is for NG postcodes and thus unlikely to be read in Surrey, Sussex, Essex, Somerset, or Kent, is there anyone you would want to avoid, if possible?
Somerset [the answer was given unhesitatingly; the evening’s events in the South Group mean that Notts will play… (drum roll)… Somerset].
You’ve told me before that, if a T20 game had to be decided by drinking contest (a session rather than sprint), you’d enter the jockey-like frame of Chris Read for the job, not Luke Fletcher, who “would be playing club cricket on a Saturday, anyway”. But he ended up getting a few games, the Bulwell Bruiser, and did a decent job for you …
He did excellently. He loves the game and because he comes from Nottingham he’s the sort of player the supporters identify with and like to see do well.
To familiarise the people of Nottingham with the squad’s strengths a little, who’s the big hitter, the man who clears the boundary?
People like to come and see David Hussey bat when he’s here. Then there’s Samit Patel and Alex Hales. Those are the batsmen from our perspective that we want to see hitting the ball into the crowd.
What about bowlers: who’s the ‘enforcer’? Who kicks the opposition’s door in and repossesses their TV?
Darren Pattinson.
Who’s Mr Reliable?
Steve Mullaney.
And the random element, The Man with the Golden Arm?
Samit Patel.
Let’s imagine you make it through to T20 Finals Day. It’s the semi-final, last ball. The opposition need 1 to tie, 2 to win – who would you want bowling?
Erm, good question… Pattinson again.
Good choice, because the opposition batsman has mishit the shot and sent it soaring high, high in the air – who would you want to see under the catch?
Chris Read [NB: he would be wearing massive gloves].
Good choice again: he’s caught it… You’re through to the final. Once again it has come down to the last ball of the match: Notts need 4 to tie, 6 to win. Who would you want facing that ball?
Voges.
Unlucky Mick – it’s only a four! A tie! So, we need to decide the game. You’ve said that it would be Chris Read if it were a drinking contest. What about if it was decided by a sprint?
Hmmm… Scott Elstone.
Lastly, what if it was decided by a fist fight?
We’d definitely call Fletcher up for that one!!
The result? Worcestershire were vanquished and Notts topped the group (not Leicestershire). They will face Somerset at Trent Bridge on Sunday 7 August; 1.45pm start. Advance adult tickets are £15; £20 on the day.
Ticket details can be found on the Notts CCC website
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