We must get straight back up, says Read
CHRIS Read is already setting his sights on leading Nottinghamshire to the Division Two crown next season to banish the disappointment of this campaign.
The inevitable was confirmed last Friday as Notts suffered a fivewicket defeat to Middlesex, despite the best efforts of Jake Ball who ended the game with figures of 5-66 and 4-54.
It is some fall from grace for the Midlands county who finished third last term, but have managed just one victory this time around – coming in the first match against Surrey.
Captain Read, 38, admitted to being at his lowest ebb since taking the leadership role in 2008, but is refusing to allow his teammates to dwell on the disappointment.
He said: “You never regret things that you do.You go out there with the best intentions and the best will in the world to win cricket matches and to go out there and perform for your county.
“The upshot is we haven’t been good enough to compete in Division One this year.
“We need to look at ourselves carefully and work out why we haven’t been good enough and make a pledge that we will get better and, at the first opportunity, get back into Division One.
“I am always looking forward. You can’t dwell on these things. Getting relegated is desperately disappointing and I have been captain since 2008 and this is the first time and, hopefully, the only time, that I will be taking a side down.
“Ultimately we have got to work out how we get better. When we came third last year we tried to work out how we could get better. We have got worse this year, that is obviously a given.
“The view will be to win Division Two next year and come back up.”
Notts were rocked by James Taylor’s retirement due to health issues in April, but that’s not to blame for a rollercoaster of a year according to wicketkeeper/batsman Read.
“It has been a little bit hard and we have been hampered by the very tragic absence of James Taylor,” said Read, who will see former England coach Peter Moores take the reins next term.
“Whether we would have seen much of him anyway as his England career was taking off is neither here nor there but he was a massive part of our team.
“Alex Hales and Jake Ball, too, have been with England so we have missed those guys but that is no excuse.We believed we had the squad to absorb those absences.”