Trego (pictured during his spell with Devon) keen to extend professional career into his 40s

Peter Trego (centre) celebrates a wicket falling when he captained Devon against Cornwall at Exeter in 2019

By JON CULLEY

WHEN Peter Trego’s long association with Somerset ended in 2019, it might have been supposed that at the age of 38 the swashbuckling cult hero of the County Ground at Taunton might call it a day.

Of that, there was never a danger. Two years on, having been rapidly snapped up by Nottinghamshire after making it known he wasn’t done yet following a part-time professional's role with Devon, he is eyeing up more prizes to go with the Vitality Blast winner’s medal he pocketed at Edgbaston in 2020 – and the chance to fulfil one remaining dream by lifting a trophy as captain in the Royal London Cup.

And all that while advancing his plans, having been a useful non-League footballer in his younger days, to write a third chapter in his sporting life by becoming a professional golfer. He just missed qualifying for the Open at Royal St George’s earlier this month.

“Whatever sport I’m involved in, I don’t have it in me to play just for fun,” he said. “I have to be the best I can be and that’s probably why I’m still playing professional cricket at 40.

“I will definitely be playing professional golf tournaments in the next 12 to 18 months regardless of what happens cricket-wise.”

Trego played in nine of Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ group matches in the Blast while captaining the Second XI and was given the nod to lead the Royal London Cup side after Haseeb Hameed’s call-up to the England Test squad.

His final memories of Somerset included being on the winning side in the last one-day final at Lord’s and the relocation of the final to Trent Bridge this year is an added incentive to taste more glory.

“I’ve never captained a team right through a competition and to be handed a trophy in a Test match arena would be an unbelievable experience,” Trego said.

In common with many counties, Nottinghamshire have seen players depart to The Hundred, but Trego rejects the notion that the Royal London Cup should consequently be seen as a development competition.

“I’m not sure you are going to play against many development teams with people like Hashim Amla playing for them, so I don’t really buy that,” he said. 

“There may be some names missing but there are still some pretty outstanding players across the 18 teams and it is going to be an exciting competition in its own right.

“In our side, players like Lyndon James, Joey Evison and Liam Patterson-White are young cricketers with bright futures in the game and we have a few other good young lads as well.”

Trego’s contract at Nottinghamshire expires this September but he would stay on given the chance, notwithstanding his golfing ambitions.

“I don’t necessarily see myself as a coach but when I first started playing at Somerset we had Colin Wells in a kind of player-coach-mentor role,” he said.

“Whether I’m seen by Nottinghamshire as the guy to fill that kind of role, the next few weeks will determine. But if the club wanted me to fulfil a role it would be almost impossible for me to say no.”