Fletcher aims to hit ground running

Luke Fletcher, right, impressed with bat as well as ball last season and hopes to learn much at Darren Lehmann's academy

Luke Fletcher is determined to avoid ‘second season syndrome’ when Nottinghamshire’s domestic campaign gets underway in April.

Fletcher was a revelation in 2009 taking 29 wickets in eight LV= County Championship matches and underlining his potential with the bat with a stylish 92 against Hampshire.

The former England Under-19 seamer is currently at the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide with Notts team mates Alex Hales and Samit Patel and is determined to begin pre-season training in the best possible shape.

“Players sometimes struggle to maintain good form for consecutive seasons but that’s my target,” said Fletcher. “I want to begin the season in the side and try and stay there because I know what to expect and I know what’s expected of me.

“We’re putting in long days and the heat is intense but we’re all knuckling down and enjoying the fitness sessions.

“I spent some time here at the same stage of last year and really felt the benefit when the season got underway. Our fitness is being tested twice a week and there’s nowhere to hide.”

The trio were joined last week by Nottinghamshire’s fitness and conditioning coach Kevin Paxton who devises tailored training programmes for the squad throughout the season.

“I travelled half way around the world to get away from Kev and he still found me,” joked Fletcher.

“There is so much cricket packed into a relatively short period of time now and the body has to be conditioned to move from a four day game straight into a one day game with no time to recover so trips like this really pay dividends.”