Trent Bridge is bathed in Rockets yellow, Andy Flower’s all-star squad have assembled, and the return of The Hundred to Nottingham is imminent.
The first summer of English cricket’s newest competition was blessed with fanatical support and breathtaking action, and now the stage is set once more as Birmingham Phoenix's men visit on Saturday 6 August.
Trent Rockets’ Marchant de Lange retains fond memories of that inaugural summer, in which he claimed the tournament’s first ever five-wicket haul.
“The crowds were amazing for us last year, and it was great to see so many kids getting interested in the game,” he said.
“Everyone became so supportive of Trent Rockets so quickly, and I really enjoyed being part of the environment.
“Trent Bridge can be a daunting ground to bowl at, so to take the first five-fer was certainly unexpected, but I was just happy to contribute to the team’s success.
“We had a good group last year, and we’ve got some new faces this year who’ve brought a great new energy to things.
“We’re all looking forward to fronting up and taking on the challenge of the next few weeks, and hopefully we continue in a similar vein to last year and manage to go a little further!”
Trent Rockets’ men are seeking to better the third-placed finish they recorded last summer.
Their quest will be soundtracked by some of British music’s rising stars, with a host of acts taking to the Trent Bridge stage to provide interval entertainment.
For the Rockets’ opening fixture against the Phoenix, the anthems will be provided by indie-rock quartet Sea Girls, fronted by Henry Camamile.
“This will be the first time we’ve combined sport and music, and it’s pretty damn cool to be able to play in front of 15,000 cricket fans and be involved with all the excitement around a new form of the sport,” he said.
“I love going to the cricket whenever I get time off, but my run-ins with the sport haven’t always been positive – I broke my jaw playing the game a few years ago, so I’m happy to be playing music and watching the match rather than being out in the middle!
“There’s been an incredible buzz coming from the crowd whenever we’ve played this year – you can still feel the release of energy coming from everyone after that hiatus we all had in 2020.
“We’ve lined up some songs that we think will sound good booming around a stadium, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the energy is like in the ground.”
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With two of Trent Bridge's four fixtures in the second edition of The Hundred having already sold out, tickets are currently available for matches on Wednesday 17 and Bank Holiday Monday 29 August.
Secure your seats here...