COVERED 2025 Spring

23 @TRENTBRIDGE ROB LORD “TO PLAY IN FRONT OF SO MANY PEOPLE AT TRENT BRIDGE WAS NICE. IT WAS A FUNNY EXPERIENCE HAVING KIDS SHOUT YOUR NAME ASKING YOU TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS – I MEAN, I WAS PLAYING CLUB CRICKET HALFWAY THROUGH LAST YEAR.” Rob Lord A summer as the Outlaws’ leading wicket-taker in the One Day Cup, with 11 scalps to his name, was a standout moment in his initial short spell. It was a far cry from his travails in the player pathway. Lord had previously worked his way up through the Lancashire Academy, but whilst there, the ECB changed the age- group rules, meaning his time in the setup was cut short. He played a full year of second team cricket after that, but having not been offered a new contract at the close of the season, and with a global pandemic looming, Lord’s luck seemed to be running out. “After I left the Academy, with all the restrictions in place, I wasn’t allowed to go in for training so I didn’t get too many opportunities to play,” he says. “I then had a couple of years playing minor counties cricket, looking for any opportunity to play second team cricket – and when a club like Notts came knocking, it was a no-brainer really.” When the opportunity arose, Lord’s venture into professional cricket felt like the lucky break that he had been deserving of. It was two years hampered by injury that presented his biggest challenge, whilst playing for his team back home in the Cheshire League, Bowdon. “I had a really bad impingement at the back of my ankle,” he confirms. “I wasn’t able to bowl properly, and it was quite frustrating not being able to perform and show people what I could do.Thankfully, two injections and one surgery later, it’s much better. “I felt like I’d been very close (to securing a contract) for a couple of years playing club cricket, but I was getting so frustrated with my injuries that I was getting to the point where I thought maybe this just isn’t for me. “I was starting to think I needed to find something else to do, but I kept sticking at it and working as hard as I could, then the opportunity to come here came at the right time really. “I was doing some juniors coaching at