Newell believes Notts can go one better and win some silverware next season

Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell is keen for the county to capitalise on an impressive season.

The Trent Bridge side missed out on the County Championship on the final day, but Newell was not downhearted and admitted Durham were deserving winners.

"To be fair, I felt that Durham really were the best team," Newell told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"So it doesn't surprise me, and in many ways it doesn't particularly disappoint me, to lose to Durham."

He added: "There's no point in dwelling on it. We've been relegated twice since I've been in charge and that is disappointing. So this, compared to that, is nothing like the same feeling."

Looking forward to next summer, Newell is optimistic that Notts can continue their impressive form of this season and hopefully bring some silverware back to Trent Bridge.

"I think we've achieved a lot this year and if we can strengthen the team, and make the team better from within as well, then we've got every chance of competing again next year," he said.

Newell knows there are aspects of the team that will need to improve if they are to compete in 2009.

Notts have struggled to find a settled opening partnership this season, but the director of cricket is confident in his current crop of batsmen and feels they will be able to provide if given another chance.

"Will Jefferson's been here two years now, Bilal Shafayat's been back with us two years and Matt Wood has had a year," said Newell.

"I'd like to think that from those three we can find two consistently good opening batters in four-day and one-day cricket.

"That's why I brought them here, because I believe they could the job for us. It hasn't quite worked yet but maybe next year."

The Notts coaching staff will be looking to strengthen the squad over the next few months, but Newell insists he will wait a while before making any concrete offers to players.

I don't want to dive in and make quick decisions about players Mick Newell on building a squad for next season

"David Hussey has a contract for next year which he may or may not be able to fulfil," Newell admitted.

"I'll be watching with interest over the next six months. If he continues to be in Australia's one-day side and Twenty 20 side, his availability next summer will be even more limited than it was this year."

And Newell knows that a patient approach is the best way to ensure he finds the best selection of players for the 2009 season.

"I don't want to dive in and make quick decisions about him [Hussey] or other players at the moment," he added.

"I think we'll follow the overseas cricket for a while and just see which players emerge and which players disappear from the international scene."

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