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Page last updated at 17:45 GMT, Thursday, 12 August 2010 18:45 UK

No fear for Nottinghamshire - Dirk Nannes

Friends Provident t20 Finals Day, The Rose Bowl:
First semi-final: Hampshire v Essex (1130 BST)
Second semi-final: Nottinghamshire v Somerset (1500 BST)
Final: Winner, match 1 v Winner, match 2 (1915 BST)
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Essex, BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC Radio Bristol and online ; live scorecards on BBC Sport website, Ceefax and mobiles; also live on Sky Sports 1

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Notts stars relishing Finals Day

Nottinghamshire bowler Dirk Nannes has no fear about Notts failing to handle the pressure of FP t20 finals day.

Notts face Somerset in the semi-finals at The Rose Bowl on Saturday and Nannes says their big-match experience puts them in a great position to progress.

"We're fine - no worries," he told BBC East Midlands Today. "All the guys are getting used to playing big games.

"They're in the hunt in all forms of the game and all games are like a final. No-one will be overawed."

Twenty20 specialist Nannes believes the key to Notts' success has an been a solid all-round team effort with contributions from the full squad at some point during the competition.

"We've had a pretty good balance," the Australian added. "No one has been head and shoulders above the rest. We've been pretty consistent.

We experienced it at Trent Bridge a few years back and we looking to go better than we did when we were losing finalists

Wicketkeeper Chris Read

"It's been a good team performance which I think is what is important in Twenty20 cricket.

"You're never going to get the same person making runs every week. We've spread it around and spread it between the batting and the bowling as well.

"It has been a good balanced performance from the whole team."

Australian batsmen David Hussey, who captains the county in the shortest form of the game, has been a key man as Notts finished second in their group.

"We are playing particularly well. It would be a shame to go so far and be losing semi-finalists. We're desperate to go all the way and can't wait to get down to The Rose Bowl," he said.

"If we stick to the basics and play with no fear, I think we'll play some pretty entertaining and aggressive cricket and hopefully we'll come out on top. I believe we have the squad to go all the way in the semi-finals and the final."

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Wicketkeeper Chris Read, who has stepped down as Twenty20 skipper, was also relishing the prospect of appearing in the county's first finals day since 2006.

"It's a great day in the cricketing calendar," Read said. "We experienced it at Trent Bridge a few years back and we are looking to go one better than we did when we were losing finalists [against Leicestershire]."

Left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom knows Notts will have a lot of expectation to deal with - especially with England duo Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad back and available.

"We've played very well as a team and it's very exciting to play such a big occasion," Sidebottom said.

"I've heard that Graeme and Broad may be available so I suppose we'll have something of a Real Madrid team - so the pressure will be on us to perform really well."

We have to concentrate on ourselves and get the basics right and if we do that I don't think anyone will get near us

All-rounder Samit Patel

All-rounder Samit Patel has been one of Notts' key performers with bat and ball, and has no doubt that they can handle that pressure.

"We have a lot of experience in the camp and the boys are playing really well in all forms of cricket," he said.

"We have to perform on the day but it's all about who handles the pressure. Somerset are a good team and we have to respect all the opponents we play.

"But first and foremost we have to concentrate on ourselves and get the basics right and if we do that then I don't think anyone will get near us."


Nottinghamshire squad: Alex Hales, Ali Brown, Matt Wood, David Hussey (capt), Samit Patel, Chris Read (wk), Steven Mullaney, Scott Elstone, Paul Franks, Graeme White, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom, Darren Pattinson, Dirk Nannes.



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see also
England four available for finals
09 Aug 10 |  Cricket
Pollard looking to make T20 mark
13 Aug 10 |  Somerset
Hampshire eye maiden t20 success
13 Aug 10 |  Hampshire
Bravo aims to be Essex cameo king
13 Aug 10 |  Essex
Mullaney fitness concern for t20
02 Aug 10 |  Nottinghamshire
Notts beat Sussex to make semis
26 Jul 10 |  Counties
Newell impressed by Hussey's lead
29 Jun 10 |  Nottinghamshire
Nannes sets T20 mark in Notts win
10 Jun 10 |  Counties
Notts snap up pace bowler Nannes
25 Nov 09 |  Nottinghamshire


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