Alex Hales believes the international power-hitters in the Trent Rockets line-up will relish performing at Trent Bridge in The Hundred this summer.

The opener, who is a local icon for the Nottingham-based outfit, is in line to appear alongside Australia’s D’Arcy Short at the top of the order – and he offered a few words of advice for his teammate.

“Trent Bridge is one of those grounds where you just have to get yourself in, then you can go big,” he said.

“It’s particularly good for an opener – the pitches are generally batter-friendly, and the boundaries are small.

“D’Arcy is an outstanding player with an unbelievable record in the Big Bash, so if he gets himself in he’ll cause a hell of a lot of damage.”

Hales will be one of a number of limited-overs globetrotters gracing the Rockets this summer – something which the 31-year-old believes can spur players on to greater heights.

“Trent Bridge is one of those grounds where you just have to get yourself in, then you can go big.”

Alex Hales

“Every coach and player will know your game like the back of their hand, there’s no hiding place,” he said.

“It really is a ruthless environment, and you have to keep improving your game.

“That you get to play with and against so many different players from different backgrounds really adds to your experience of the tournament as well.”

The likes of Short add stardust to a squad which also includes a number of local stars – but it is the overall makeup of Stephen Fleming’s selection which excites Hales the most.

“I love the balance we’ve got,” he said.

“To have high quality players like Rashid Khan – arguably the best T20 player in the world – will be gold dust, but having quite a few guys who are familiar with Trent Bridge will hopefully be an advantage.

“It’s a very unique place to play, so that knowledge could be very useful.”

*******

An exclusive The Hundred pre-sale window for county members is open until 31 January. To secure priority access to The Hundred for 50% less than the early-bird price for tickets, become a Nottinghamshire member here.