All-rounder Alex Hughes is keen to put the hard yards in now during fitness training, but admits he already has one eye on next summer.
A crucial period for the squad, during which they can maximise strength and fitness to condition their bodies for a challenging and long season, the Derbyshire players are in their third week of pre-Christmas fitness training.
27-year-old Hughes, who featured in every competitive fixture in 2018, believes the work done now can have a lasting impact throughout the summer.
He said: “Although maybe not as fun as playing, it’s one of the most important things to get the lads as fit as they can be to play at the start and throughout the season.
“The fitness work is what’s needed, but there’s always an eye on the first game and everyone’s trying to get in that first team for the first game of the season.”
The 2019 fixtures are released on Tuesday 27 November and Hughes admits there are always a couple of fixtures he instantly looks out for ahead of the new season.
He added: “Notts home and away in the T20 is always a fun game and also anything at Queen’s Park. We’ve got a good record there over the past couple of years and we always get a good crowd.
“I hope we get to play at a couple of grounds like Lord’s and Old Trafford. I’ve never played a four-day game at Old Trafford so that’s one I’m looking out for.”
New benefits for 2019. Club Membership for 2019 is on sale now, giving you more from your Membership. Buy before our 1st February Early Bird deadline and save £20.
