Notts look to Essex rise as basis for their next title tilt
THE VICTORY champagne has barely stopped fizzing, and yet Nottinghamshire are already targeting the County Championship title in 2018 – according to Steven Mullaney.
The all-rounder has been a key cog in an Outlaws side that enjoyed a superb sporting summer this year, claiming both white-ball titles and promotion back to the top flight in the four-day game.
But after Essex’s serene stroll to the Division One crown in 2017 – their first following promotion the year before – Mullaney and his Trent Bridge teammates are feeling confident they can match that achievement.
“We are still celebrating, thinking about what we have achieved, but with one eye on starting back up again in November,” said the 30-year-old.
“At the start of the season you don’t even dream of achieving everything that we did, but we believed we could win every competition that we entered and that will be the same next year.
“Absolutely we believe we can win Division One, I mean, you look at what Essex have done this year coming straight up.”
Their treble season owes much to the brilliance of Peter Moores – the former England head coach who, Mullaney says, gave every player the freedom express themselves.
But the foundations of their dream season were forged in the times of adversity – the retirements of Michael Lumb and Greg Smith, the premature departure of Brendan Taylor and, most poignantly of all, the sickening head injury sustained by Luke Fletcher.
“We have been through everything this season, and won from nearly every position possible,” added Mullaney. “Luke (Fletcher) is one of my best mates and I was standing at mid-wicket, I will never forget that horrible noise.
“But just to see him get up was enough, to know that he was alive. He will be back next year which is fantastic – he has always been daft as a brush so maybe it knocked some sense into him!”
A work hard, play hard approach has borne fruit this season, as Moores has encouraged all his players to celebrate their victories – and there have been many to celebrate.
And that approach will not change in 2018, although Mullaney concedes that, while Paul Coughlin is a fine addition for next summer, it will be hard to replace some of their departing stars – not least Chris Read.
“Anyone who thinks he (Read) can be replaced is kidding themselves really,” he added. “Tom Moores did a great job in the T20 and whether he gets the nod or someone else, they will have to be their own man.
“But saying that, I have 100 per cent confidence in the next man to come in and do a job and that applies to every position in the team.
“We are under no illusions about how hard it will be back in the top division, but we have a positive approach, we’ll work our socks off and that builds belief.”