Working at Trent Bridge delivers a steady stream of surreal moments and this week certainly didn’t disappoint. A new link between screen and camera gave us a chance to experiment with a live toss ahead of the Somerset match.

Having rehearsed with two pen pushers who assumed the roles of Read and Trescothick to my Atherton/Holding/Lloyd on Tuesday, we were confident that everything would work out despite Paul Johnson’s (accurate) observation that we had all the gear and no idea.

How hard can it be? Flip a coin ask a couple of questions march off to the bewilderment of the 10.30 crowd, awestruck by the limitless potential of our technology but concerned by the people controlling it.

Didn’t quite go to plan. By the time the microphone had been switched on, Ready had already tossed the coin, we’d missed the result and I had to ask him who’d won before launching into my questions. Pretty sure I announced the result of the toss incorrectly as well but the volume was so low that no one seemed to notice. I think people presumed we were playing library pictures of tosses of years gone by, which definitely has the potential to be stretched out into a mini-series.

Whitney Houston is stranded in Ireland and Chris Moyles is stranded in New York but all the chat at Trent Bridge is about Academy Director Chris Tolley being stranded in Majorca. Toll will be keen to get back in time for Saturday’s Notts Premier League opener where his Academy players will attempt to consolidate following promotion from the Bassetlaw League. He texted me to let me know that one of them, Sam Wood, had scored 96 for the Second XI against Glamorgan. I already knew this because I’d spent a good hour watching him bat at Lady Bay, batting alongside Steven Mullaney who will hope to feature against Leicestershire in Sunday’s CB40 opener after his stylish 132.

There’s something endearing about Second Eleven cricket, especially when established professionals are pitched against emerging youngsters. The lads take pride in their performance but the tone is always upbeat and relaxed. In this visit, I saw three former Notts players pass by to take in some overs, some truly inept Glamorgan fielding and a round of McFlurrys delivered to the Notts benches. Noony is well liked by the players and very good at adapting his approach when managing established first teamers tuning up after injury or loss of form or blooding young lads who find themselves in the Second Eleven for the very first time.

Got a call from a steward on Thursday to report that there was a rogue photographer in the new stand: “It’s the lady on the front row. She’s got a blue jumper on, a professional lens and it doesn’t look like she’s wearing accreditation.”

"The ‘Lady’ concerned turned out to be our club photographer, Dave. Some might say he’s a bit effeminate and he was wearing a blue jumper but he’s certainly no lady."

The ‘Lady’ concerned turned out to be our club photographer, Dave. Some might say he’s a bit effeminate and he was wearing a blue jumper but he’s certainly no lady. I promised him I wouldn’t tell anybody about this so keep it under your hat.

A few frantic phonecalls on Wednesday after the Asian media reported that Mohammed Asif had been set to sign for us. I knew this wasn’t true but I rang the guy who wrote the story who assured me he had solid information and said that he was standing by his story. An apology followed two hours later when it transpired that Northamptonshire had actually been the county concerned.

Much debate in the press box this week about raisins in scones. I’m a fan of the plain scone, sliced in half and smothered in jam and cream but a few of the newspaper regulars have become accustomed to a recipe featuring currants and raisins. I abused my privilege of office to order raisin-free scones which pleased some, disappointed others but, more importantly, sprang to the national conscience in Paul Bolton’s Daily Telegraph blog:

“A change to the tea-time menu here with plain scones added to the menu at the request of Michael Temple, amiable Nottinghamshire’s press officer, who seems to have an aversion to currants and raisins. Bit fussy for a lad from Rotherham.”

Now, I’m not from Rotherham, I’m from Arnold, but I do have an aversion to currants and raisins so I’m pleased that the issue has been put to bed.

Michael Temple is Nottinghamshire's Media and Communications Manager.