FRANCOIS du Plessis is determined to show Nottinghamshire what they are missing after he turned down the opportunity to move to Trent Bridge just less than three years ago.

The Lancashire batsman, nicknamed Faf, was offered a long-term contract by the Midlands county after impressing in their second team in the summer of 2006, but turned it down.

He subsequently signed a one-year contract as a Kolpak with Lancashire, before extending it for a further three years at the end of last summer.

The two counties meet in the LV County Championship Division One at Old Trafford on Wednesday, both having won their opening round of fixtures last week.

Du Plessis, who scored two half-centuries in the corresponding fixture last season, is looking for his maiden century for the county. Tomorrow would be the perfect time.

“It is the same for any player who moves from a county or a franchise, he always wants to prove to them how good a player he is,” du Plessis said, who plays for the Nashua Titans in South Africa.

“For me, with Notts, having turned down the opportunity to play there, I need to prove to them every time what kind of a player they are missing out on.”

Du Plessis, who hit 58, shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 148 with compatriot Ashwell Prince to confirm the Championship win at Sussex last week.

And he believes Prince, who also spent a brief spell with Nottinghamshire as their overseas player last summer, could play a big part in his development over the next month or so.

“I have never played with Ash in the same team before,” said du Plessis. “We have always played against each other, abusing one another for fun. The one thing he does so well is his conversion rates. When he gets to fifty, it is very hard to get him out. That is exactly what I want to try and emulate as quickly as possible.”

Lancashire coach Peter Moores, who will be missing James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood, due to rest and England Lions duties, should play Oliver Newby and Kyle Hogg. If he wanted to play an extra batsman, Karl Brown would come into the reckoning. Notts, who will be without Stuart Broad and Darren Pattinson, will field Ryan Sidebottom.