COVERED WINTER 2019

9 JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR ALL THE LATEST: TRENTBRIDGE.CO.UK/MAILINGLIST DAN CHRISTIAN Dan Christian is relaxed. For a man who has a reputation as one of the most uncompromising operators on theT20 circuit, it comes as something of a surprise. Given that we are sitting down on the eve of Notts’ critical Vitality Blast quarter-final against Middlesex, it is even more so. But, as he rests a flip-flopped foot on the back of a seat in front of the Pavilion, it becomes clear that this venerable corner of Nottingham, some 10,500 miles from his Australian birthplace, is one of the places where he feels most at home. Five years an Outlaw, four years as captain, and Notts’ onlyT20 Blast-winning skipper, Christian has more than earned his place in Nottingham- shire history. Yet, when the 36-year-old’s time at the Club began, it could hardly have been more sedate. His firstT20 campaign under the captaincy of JamesTaylor failed to fire, with theVictorian only truly beginning to make an impact when being called into the One-Day Cup setup. For Christian, however, it was love at first sight when it came toTrent Bridge. “I’d always admired the place and the club,” he recalls. “It always looked like a great place to play all forms of cricket when I saw it onTV, but particularlyT20. “The wicket always looked fantastic, the outfield looked fast and the crowd always got into it, so it was an exciting place to come. “David Hussey had a fair bit to do with it as well – he’s obviously a club legend, and he spoke glowingly of the place when I played with him at Victoria. “Darren Sammy was theT20 overseas player in my first year, but he had to go to the Caribbean halfway through the tournament, so I jumped at the opportunity to come in and I’ve been here ever since.” In five years at Trent Bridge, Dan Christian has elevated himself into the pantheon of Nottinghamshire’s finest white-ball cricketers. But who are his inspirations, what are his motivations, and what has he made of his half-decade as an Outlaw? “THE WICKET ALWAYS LOOKED FANTASTIC, THE OUTFIELD LOOKED FAST AND THE CROWD ALWAYS GOT INTO IT, SO IT WAS AN EXCITING PLACE TO COME.” Dan Christian