v Warwickwickshire LV= at Trent Bridge

Warwickshire race to a 7 session win as Notts subside.

Notts subsided in 90 minutes this morning as the remaining seven wickets only added a further 75 runs. More happily Notts avoided a points reduction for producing a below average pitch and for slow over rate; a sensible conclusion on a pitch that offered little physical danger to the batsman. Ultimately the difference between the sides was Ian Bell’s batting on day 1. With Andre Adams missing for at least another fortnight, the balance of the side must be addressed; the tail in this game was too long. The selection dilemma is further confounded by possible international call ups as England are due to play Scotland next Thursday in Aberdeen. Mick Newell now wearing two selection hats will have his work cut out.

Rabbit

This morning Fletcher departed to the third ball of the morning to a catch at third slip. Taylor and Patel added 29 for the fifth wicket but a spell of three wickets in five balls saw the end of Notts challenge. Wright picked up his second wicket of the morning when Taylor departed leg before for 19. Three balls later Wessels received a beauty from Wright which he edged to Porterfield at first slip, 156 for six. Off the first ball of next over, Patel edged Barker as Porterfield held another at slip. Read (11) and Siddle added 28, before the captain pulled Woakes to Evans at deep mid-wicket. Siddle blasted four boundaries to finish on 28 not out, but Carter and Gurney were dispatched with minimal effort as Wright finished with 4 for 70, as Notts were all out for 201 to lose by 99 runs. They took three points for the game, there was no over rate fine

Notts bowling on the first day particularly before lunch was disappointing but their efforts throughout the second day were commendable. The team though at present is not sufficiently balanced and until this is addressed Notts will continue to struggle. It appears at present that Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Sussex, Middlesex and Durham are the title contenders with Northants the whipping boys. The remaining relegation slot could be any one from Lancashire, Notts and Somerset. However it’s very early days. A fit again Adams and a firing Siddle could make all the difference!  

Gloss edged off Notts' shining recovery just at the end!

Notts battled back on day 2 of this intriguing match but with them still requiring another 174 runs with seven wickets intact, the visitors remain favourites.

More worryingly a points deduction for a substandard pitch could well be on the menu after the match is finished. The grim face on the Director of Cricket face in his close of play interview on the Notts website suggests the panel could well don their black caps and deduct points from Notts who already are expected to a lose a point for slow over rate throughout the match.

To the positives, a 7th partnership between Samit Patel (54) and Chris Read (27) saved Notts from the follow-on on another day of bright sunshine. Both batsman batted extremely responsibly until Patel tried to hit Hannon-Dalby into the Bridgford Road but only succeeded in hitting the ball into orbit as Bell took the catch at backward point. Patel’s 54 came off 93 balls with six fours. Read (27) followed in next over being strangled down the leg side, Woakes being the lucky bowler. Carter and Gurney surely county cricket worst ten/jack combination lasted four balls between them and Gurney was also dropped off his first ball. Carter fell leg before and Gurney edged to slip as Woakes took three wickets in five balls. Notts lost their last four wickets for one run. For the fifth innings in succession the Notts tail failed to wag.

Notts hauled themselves back into the match with a much improved bowling performance as Siddle has now appeared to blown off the cobwebs. Chopra fell to second ball of the innings being caught behind off Bananaman for a duck. Porterfield and Evans added 46 until Evans was caught in gulley by Lumb for 24 off Siddle. Bell was caught behind by Read off Gurney for five. Next over a smart catch at slip by Patel saw the end of Porterfield for 22, as Siddle picked up his third wicket. Javid for the second time in his career picked up a pair at Trent Bridge when he was caught behind off Gurney, 57 for five. Fletcher and Carter replaced Siddle and Gurney and with the score on 83 Woakes edged Fletch to Mullaney at slip. Ambrose and Barker added 30 until Ambrose fell leg before to Carter for an innings high of 29. Next over Fletch picked up his second wicket as Barker (19) edged to Read. Chris Wright was absolutely plumb as Carter picked his seventh wicket of the match, 120 for nine. Infuriatingly the last pair added 32 as Hannon-Dalby got a career best 17 not out. Eventually Patel skied the ball to Fletcher as Gurney picked up third wicket, Warwickshire all out for 152, Notts needed 300 to run. The wickets were shared but Siddle was the pick of the bunch with three for 38.

Mullaney and Jaques opened positively until in the seventh over Mullaney received a peach of a ball from left armer Barker that he had to play but only succeeded to edge to Bell and departed for 15, 26 for one. Jaques who played and missed several times early on settled down well and with Lumb batted very sensibly putting the loose balls away. The running between the wickets was particularly smart and the partnership was worth 92 runs when with just three overs left. Patel got one to straighten and Lumb departed for solid 40. However the key blow was in the next over, when Jaques got a thin edge to Wright as Ambrose took an easy catch. Jaques’ 64 was an excellent effort off 99 balls with seven fours and a flicked six into The Fridge. Fletcher unlike the previous night survived to close with Taylor as his partner. Notts 126 for three at stumps needing a further 174 runs for what would be extremely unlikely win. Much rests on the shoulders of Taylor, Patel, Wessels and Read; with a possible points deduction looming on the horizon a Notts win is absolutely crucial.

Credit though to Notts who were seemingly down and out at the end of play yesterday but they came fighting back with a fine batting and bowling effort today. Lets hope for more the same tomorrow.

Warwickshire 263 and 152
Nottinghamshire 116 and 126/3

Nottinghamshire Completely out played by Rampant Bears

Warwickshire ended the first day in a position of a total dominance with Notts trailing by 220 runs with just four wickets first innings intact.

As in the previous game at Lord’s Notts were completely out-bowled and out-batted by the opposition. Notts won the toss and inserted the opposition with the line up unchanged from London. The day was bright but with a brisk wind. The opening bowlers Siddle and Fletcher did not make the batsman play enough as the new ball was wasted. Gurney came on from the Radcliffe Road and bowled somewhat better. The prolific Chopra edged to Mullaney at slip as Gurney picked up the first wicket, 33 for one. The wicket was pitched right on the Bridgford Road side but Notts were guilty of offering too much short and legside balls. Carter who was erratic all day, picked up the second wicket when Evans (13) fended him to Taylor at short leg, 61 for two. Jaques dropped dangerman Ian Bell on seven at midwicket off Fletcher, a low chance that he got both his hands to.  Siddle came on again and bowled somewhat better, but one got the impression he still remains undercooked. Lunchtime was approaching and it was time for Mull o’clock. The Lancastrian was bowling more accurately than his more esteemed colleagues and got Porterfield caught and bowled for 79-ball 56 with innings which contained 10 fours, 93 for three. Siddle got his maiden Notts wicket when Javid departed for a duck caught at first slip by Wessels. Ambrose was bowled by Carter for six, as visitors stood at 118 for five. Bell though was playing superbly and added 74 runs with Woakes. Fletcher who had a poor day with the ball picked up his sole wicket when Woakes (27) edged him to slip where Wessels took the catch. Bell reached his ton off 136 balls then Barker was leg before to Gurney for nine. Carter mopped up the tail, Jeetan Patel falling leg before and then Bell on 122 shouldered arms and was bowled for 122 an innings which contained 18 fours and two sixes off 148 balls A magnificent effort on a wicket with excessive bounce  and with the ball moving around throughout most of the day. A classic case of the cream rising to the top on a difficult pitch. Wright was last man to go caught by the tumbling Fletcher at mid off as Carter got his career best figures for Notts with 13.2-0-55-5. He was guilty though once again of bowling too short too often and his performance was put into perspective later by the Warwickshire bowlers. The Bears had scored at least 50 runs more runs than they should have after been inserted in helpful conditions. Gurney finished with two for 60.

Notts had 21 overs to survive, but the whole innings was a shambles as Warwick bowled with much better control of line and length than their Notts counterparts. Jaques who at present is proving an expensive flop as locum fell leg before to Chris Wright for a single. Mullaney (4) edged Wright to slip where Bell took the catch, seven for two. It got worse Lumb (1) shouldered arms to Barker and lost his leg stump. The procession continued as Taylor (6) replicated his Lord’s effort when he was leg before playing across the line to Wight, 17 for four. Patel and Wessels added 19 before Wessels was leg before to Hannon-Dalby for eight. The day ended in farce when a comical mix up between night watchman Fletcher and Patel resulted in the Bulwellian being run out for two. Slip on the red nose. Notts 43 for six seemingly heading for a humiliating two day defeat with Patel 16 not out. Wright after injury plagued 2013 had figures of 8-4-7-3, bowling with the same pace/hostility and from the same end as Carter but with much more accuracy. It is already apparent that unless Adams recovers his fitness or Siddle finds form the bowling like in 2013 seems to lack depth. Notts will be hoping to restore some battered pride when play resumes tomorrow morning.  MAG