Mick Newell ready for England interview

London: Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell is readying himself for an interview for the vacant position of England coach.

The opening round of the 2014 County Championship season has pitted Newell`s side against a Lancashire team coached by ex-England boss Peter Moores, also a candidate to replace Andy Flower after the former Zimbabwe batsman stepped down following the team`s 5-0 Ashes rout in Australia. And while late form has often swung selections as far as getting a player into a Test side is concerned, Newell said he did not expect the outcome of the ongoing clash at Trent Bridge to have a bearing on the identity of the next England coach. "I`d like to hope not," Newell said Monday of a race where former England spinner and Warwickshire coach Ashley Giles is also a contender despite overseeing England`s recent Twenty20 humiliation by the Netherlands. "I would have liked to have thought it was a little more scientific than that." Asked if he had been told when he would be interviewed, Newell added: "No I haven`t. "Nothing is happening this week. "I`ve applied and I understand I`m on a shortlist but I don`t know as and when there are any interviews." On the field, Nottinghamshire got themselves back into the match on a rain-marred second day at Trent Bridge, reducing Lancashire to 77 for six in reply to the hosts` first innings 272. Debutant Jake Ball took he first wickets of his Championship career - with former South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince his first scalp. "With the new ball we were quite tight and didn`t give too much away," Newell said. "That builds the pressure and that`s where we think the wickets will come from. I was quite pleased with that. "This time of year, you don`t expect high-scoring matches and especially not here," he added of Nottingham`s Trent Bridge ground renowned for assisting swing bowlers. Newell saluted the performance of Ball, born in nearby Mansfield, by saying: "(It was) great for Jake. "He`s done very well for us in one-day cricket for a number of years now. "For him to get the opportunity to play in a four-day game is very good for him."