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COVERED 18 TRENTBRIDGE.CO.UK enjoyment I got out of it because I was finding it really tough. “I’m proud of the fact that, from where I was, I managed to get past 300 First- Class wickets.The frustration is that, if I I knew at 18 what I knew at 34, there’s no telling what I could have helped my teams achieve. “At 34, I started to get it,” he continues. “The ways in which I could develop my game really started to resonate and I began to understand the type of coaching I needed to get better. “It came too late for me as a player, but now it’s about passing as much of that knowledge as possible to Nottingham- shire players as quickly as possible, and getting their skill levels up as well. “The game has taught us tough lessons that winning four-day games is bloody hard work.The players are learning about what it takes. “The likes of Joey Evison, Lyndon James and Ben Duckett have taken fitness to a different level, which has driven higher standards from the rest of the guys, and Steven Mullaney grew massively as a leader last year as well.” Far from the cliched responses about playing being the pinnacle and coaching the next best thing, there’s a sense that Botha is happier in his own skin as a coach than he ever was as a player. “I prefer coaching to getting smashed out of the ground, that is for sure,” he laughs. “I absolutely love coaching, just as I loved playing. It’s just a different phase. “In my current position, the little wins you get from seeing a player, a squad or a team develop mean so much. “I’m in a privileged position and I enjoy figuring out how to deliver differently to different personalities. “As a coach, you are making a difference; you are accountable and it makes you feel alive every day.” With the Covid-19 pandemic necessi- tating social distancing, it’s been a year of winter training like no other. Botha, however, is confident in the quality of the work that has been done. “If players are going to implement change, what they need first is evidence,” he explains. “Then we have to understand how we can help make the necessary improve- ments and get their games to where they need to be, and it’s been great to see the likes of Tom Moores, Ben Duckett, Joe Clarke and Matt Carter moving and making real progress. “We are identifying strengths that can be turned into even bigger strengths or we might be adding different skills to the repertoire. “Consistently linking their individual training to the team is also vital, so we do a lot of pressure testing, skill execution whilst fatigued and putting scenarios in place so we can see how they adapt. “At times it’s a creative session where we try new things, groove different skills, practice ways of facing certain types of SEARCH: Sytner Nottingham Fuel economy and CO 2 results for the BMW 8 Series: Mpg 10.5 – 5.9 l/100 km*; combined CO 2 emissions: 240 – 154 g/km. Figuresare forcomparisonpurposesandmaynot reflect real-lifedriving results,whichdependonanumberof factors including theaccessories fitted (post-registration),variations inweather,drivingstylesandvehicle load.All figuresweredeterminedaccording toanew test (WLTP).The CO 2 figureswere translatedback to theoutgoing test (NEDC)andwillbeused to calculatevehicle taxon first registration.Onlycompare fuel consumptionandCO 2 figureswithothercars tested to thesame technicalprocedure. Sleek and narrow headlights, athletic contours and a new double-bubble roofline give the new BMW 8 Series a rare presence that is both utterly luxurious and remarkably sporty. Discover BMW’s first-ever luxury sports car. THE 8 TAKE CENTRE STAGE.