Coach Moores wants Notts to use Northants clash as 'a springboard' for season

Division to title winners last summer, Notts have not enjoyed the start to life in the top flight they would have wanted, winning one and losing two of their opening four matches.

They were also forced to hang on at 138 for nine on the final day to scramble a home draw against Lancashire last time out.

But former England coach Moores believes his team has played better than their results suggest, and sees the trip to Northampton as a great chance for his team to hit their top form.

“There is a lot to suggest we aren’t far away from clicking, and actually Northants is a nice springboard for us to rebuild momentum,” the Notts coach told trentbridhe.co.uk

“We have to be on it every session, and string together spells of pressure, but that is what we do well. It’s a case of returning to our principles.

“As a team, we are very together. There is a lot of backing and trust in each other because of what has gone before in recent years.

"Every player in the dressing room has shown they are capable of putting their hand up and winning matches.

“The appetite to get another victory on the board is really strong, and we’ll go to the County Ground aware of the threat Northants pose, but confident that we can come away with a good result.”

And he added: “When you look at the bigger picture, we’ve probably won most of the sessions we have played this season.

"But the next challenge is winning the big moments where a game can swing quickly.

“What we’ve done well for a period of time is not releasing that pressure on the opposition; we have been relentlessly consistent. We did that against Somerset, and against Middlesex for three days.

“Then we took the bold option in pursuit of points (against Middlesex); we risked losing five points to be 16 points better off.

"It made for exciting cricket, and on another day chances would have gone to hand and we would have been celebrating.

“When you follow that passage of play with the game against Lancs, you could feel a bit flat."But, actually, we are sixth in the table with a chance to push on over the next two games. That is a strong position to be in, and that is how we are looking at it.”

Former Northants batter Ben Duckett will open the batting for Notts against his former side, alongside fellow England man Haseed Hameed.

Another ex-County man, seamer Brett Hutton, is also set to play, but Olly Stone misses out on a Wantage Road return through injury.

England pace bowler Stuart Broad is rested.

Notts squad v Northants: Clarke, Duckett, Fletcher, Hameed, Hutton, James, Loten, Martindale, Montgomery, Mullaney, Paterson, Patterson-White, Slater