YB40 final: Chris Read backs Nottinghamshire batsmen

Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read believes his side's "fantastic" batting line-up could be key to winning a first one-day knockout trophy in 24 years.

The green and golds go into Saturday's YB40 final against Glamorgan at Lord's as strong favourites after a crushing semi-final win over Somerset.

Their last one-day final success was in the 1989 Benson and Hedges Cup.

"On paper and, for the most part in practice, our batting line-up has been almost without compare," said Read.

"It's a fantastic top order. Michael Lumb and Alex Hales are the current T20 openers for England, James Taylor and Samit Patel have played white-ball cricket internationally in recent times, David Hussey is one of the best one-day players I have played with. You throw them into a top six and it's quite intimidating.

"But what's pleased me is that some of our unsung players have come with the ball. These guys are less well known and many are learning their way in the game."

Notts will be without the services of home-grown seamer Jake Ball, who took 4-25 to inspire the eight-wicket semi-final triumph, because of a back injury.

But Read does have England duo Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad to call on after the centrally-contracted pair, who helped England win the Ashes this summer, were made available by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The former England gloveman also has plenty of confidence in the rest of his bowling attack, with competition for places fierce.

"Harry Gurney bowls every important over for us in white-ball cricket, Jake Ball's progression this year has been fantastic, and Steven Mullaney has one of the lowest economy rates in the country, and has chipped in with 17 wickets," said Read.

"I think everyone has performed at some point to win us a game in this competition. It will be tough to leave a couple of guys out.

"But when guys come to Nottinghamshire they know Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad are Notts players and they know places will be hard to come by. I am sure that people will understand it."

Read is fulfilling a long-held ambition by leading his team out for a domestic final at the home of cricket, but now Nottinghamshire are there, he doesn't want to finish second best.

"I've always said that the two Championship victories were two of the best days in my cricketing career, but I have always been open about my desire to win a one-day trophy," he said.

"It's been a long time for this club I have been here a long time and the opportunities have passed us by in T20 and in other 40 or 45 over competitions where we've come close.

"We will be going all out to not just enjoy the day, but to pick up the trophy. It's a great day full stop, but it's a damn sight better when you come away as winners."

It's also a first Lord's final in more than a decade at the helm for director of cricket Mick Newell, who has been delighted with the one-day progress made by his charges this summer.

He said: "The semi-final was a minimum requirement for what I think is a pretty good one-day side, and now we have a chance to show just quite how good we are.

"From about 2010 when we got to the T20 finals day we made a conscious effort to bring in players like Steven Mullaney and Graeme White, and then later Michael Lumb and James Taylor, who have got excellent one-day pedigree as well as being good four-day players.

"When we went to Barbados in pre-season and beat three other counties in a T20 tournament over there, and once we started well in the YB40, I sensed we had a good side here."

Newell is comfortable with Nottinghamshire carrying the tag of favourites on Saturday, but insists they will not be under-estimating their Welsh opponents.

He said: "You would expect Notts to be favourites as we're going down there with a team full of international players, but any team who beats a great Hampshire team, as Glamorgan did in their semi-final, deserve huge respect."