Voges blow to Notts' title hopes

By Dave Bracegirdle

Nottinghamshire’s hopes of landing the LV= County Championship have suffered a further blow with the news that their overseas batsman, Australian Adam Voges, will be forced to miss the final game of the season, against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.

His state side, Western Australia, open their domestic season on Sunday 16 September, with a fixture against New South Wales in Perth.

That match begins just two days after the scheduled conclusion of Notts’ season and Voges said: "There was no chance of me playing here and getting back in time. As it is, I will fly home straight after our match with Surrey and have just a day or two to prepare for the start of the Australian season.”

The 32-year-old has been part of the Trent Bridge squad since making his county debut for them in 2008. Often sharing the overseas berth with countryman David Hussey, Voges led Notts in the Friends Life t20 competition this season and hopes that he’ll be able to return again next summer.

“I think Mick Newell (Notts director of cricket) was quite pleased with what I did in the t20,” said Voges. “Hopefully I’ll be able to come back again.”

The right-hander played a starring role as Notts won the 2010 County Championship, scoring a century against Lancashire on the last day of the season. His absence this time means that Notts will be severely depleted when they host what could be a title-decider against current leaders Warwickshire.

Five key players are already ruled out of the match, with Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Samit Patel, Alex Hales and Michael Lumb all selected in England’s t20 squad for the three-match series against South Africa, leaving Newell with a major headache.

“We’re looking into what we can do, in terms of brining an overseas replacement in”, he said. “But we’ll have to assess what our realistic chances of winning the title are and if it’s going to be financially worthwhile to try to find someone.”

Last season Notts brought in Darren Bravo for the closing weeks of the season but Newell knows that the West Indian wouldn’t be an option this time around.

“He’s heading off to the World t20, so wouldn’t be available and anyone who is going to be involved in that tournament wouldn’t be able to join us – so I think it’s going to be difficult to bring someone in for just one match.”



Date: 25/08/2012 11:14:56 by Dave Bracegirdle
In: Today | Nottinghamshire |