Lumb is desperate be back in the red

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE’S Michael Lumb is determined to score more red-ball runs next season.

The 36-year-old only averaged 28.17 in the County Championship last season as Notts were relegated, making three fifties and one century.

He fared better with the white ball, though, hitting three consecutive hundreds in the One-Day Cup while also helping the Outlaws reach the semi-finals of the T20 Blast.

But Lumb, who played three ODIs and 27 T20Is for England, blasted: “It sounds weird, but personally I think was hitting the ball well all year but I couldn’t convert anything for whatever reason.

“I felt I deserved more runs. I’m happy where I’m at now, but I need more results next season. It was extremely frustrating. Sometimes you don’t get the results you want.

“If I didn’t feel good and I was scratchy I’d have been really down. The fact is, I felt my game was in good order.

“I couldn’t find whatever was needed to make it click in the red ball game like I it did in the white ball stuff.”

Notts were relegated after finishing bottom of Division One but will start next season under a new coaching team of Peter Moores and Paul Franks after Mick Newell took on a role away from the first team and his deputy Wayne Noon resigned.

Lumb added:“As a team we were all disappointed.You can blame whoever you want, but as a team we weren’t good enough.

“We didn’t get the runs we would have liked.We all took it hard.

“That’s how I see it anyway. We all have to step up and do better as a group. Next season is about optimism. Sometimes change is good and sometimes it’s needed.

“It’s a fresh start and when that happens people get excited. We’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves and to the fans.”