ANDREW GALE is confident Yorkshire can beat Nottinghamshire in a Twenty20 match at Trent Bridge for the first time in three years tomorrow and ensure lightning strikes twice by going on to reach the NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day.

The last time the Vikings triumphed over the Outlaws on the road was in 2012, the year they made their only Finals Day appearance and were beaten finalists.

Phil Jaques scored an unbeaten half-century for the White Rose in pursuit of 149, and it was one of only three wins at Trent Bridge in 11 attempts.

Notts are many people’s favourites to go all the way this year.

They have a powerful batting line-up, and are there and thereabouts almost every summer despite never having won the competition.

But captain Gale has high hopes that Yorkshire can turn the tide tomorrow and reach Finals Day again after getting their campaign off to an impressive start with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Derbyshire at Headingley last Friday.

“If we can come away from a game like that with a win, you’d like to think it will kick us on to beat anyone really,” said Gale.

“It’s a tough ground to go to. Usually there’s a decent crowd, who get behind their team and create a good atmosphere.

“They have got strong hitters all the way down their order.

“It was a strong performance for us against Derbyshire. It was what I would describe as a professional performance. After the first five overs, we dominated.

“That’s a platform for us now. We have to find some consistency in this format, we know that.

“Twenty20 is definitely a game of momentum. If we can win another game on the back of Derbyshire, it will do wonders for our confidence.”

Not only is Australian batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell set for his Vikings debut, but Notts in-form powerhouse Alex Hales is unavailable due to IPL duty with the Mumbai Indians.

Hales hit six sixes in six balls across two overs in Notts’ win over Birmingham Bears last Friday on the way to 86 not out off 43 balls, but he has signed a contract to play in the last week of the IPL. Mumbai have reached Sunday’s final.

“The form that Hales is in at the minute, he’s a hell of a player,” added Gale. “I’m sure they’ll miss him, but without him they are still a good, strong side. By no means are we going to take them lightly.

“I know Glenn’s chomping at the bit to get going. He was a bit disappointed with his IPL, and he is desperate to get back in some good form.

“He will probably bat in the middle order, five or six.

“I asked him where he prefers to bat, and he’s very easy. He’s batted all over the shop.

“We are probably going to have him coming in after Jonny Bairstow, and it would be nice if he comes in for the last ten overs and does what he’s done for Australia for us.”

Gale needs 54 runs to become the first player to score 2,000 Twenty20 runs for Yorkshire.