Adams'superb career best!

A career best bowling performance from Andre Adams followed by solid batting against an injury ravaged Lancashire attack mean that Notts are well placed to gain their third championship victory of the season.

Despite the freezing temperatures en route, Manchester once again turned out to be sunny and dry.

Adams started the day as he left off the previously night as with the last ball from the uncompleted over, Karl Brown lost his off stump, 52 for two. Moore and Prince added 31, until Moore edged Adams into his captain’s gloves and departed for the innings top score of 43. Broad was once again struggling for line and length and was going for well over four an over, but the rest of the bowling was keeping it tight.  

Swann came on at the Statham End and with his second delivery had former Trent Bridge flop Prince caught at short leg by James Taylor, the left-hander gone for 23 Lancashire 109 for 4. Another 20 runs were added unbroken by Croft and Proctor as Lancashire lunched relatively well placed at 129 for four.

The crowd once again numbering 1,500 were enjoying the sunshine but the mood changed immediately after lunch as Adams tore through the middle order in spectacular fashion. Bowling with great skill from the Pavilion End, Croft edged to Read and next ball Gareth Cross edged to Hales at first slip for a golden duck, 131 for six.

 Four overs later Smith batting with a runner and clearly struggling ballooned the ball to Lumb in the gulley. Chapple hit Swann for a six into the construction work within the new Oasis Stand (or will it be called the Simply Red stand?), but next over tried the same off the canny Adams, who had him caught on the square leg ropes in front of the temporary dressing rooms by Edwards, 143 for eight. Adams had taken five wickets since lunch and had now career best figures, simply brilliant!

Swann applied the dust pan as the remaining two Lancashire batsman was bagged and tagged in consecutive balls, Proctor was absolutely adjacent and next ball Swann’s big mate Anderson fell clean bowled, the bowler clearly delighted with the wicket. Lancashire capitulated losing their last six wickets for 17 runs in the 12 overs after lunch. Swann (16-4-26-3) and Adams (18-9-32-7) had been simply superb and the champions had no answer. Broad meanwhile had still to brush off the cobwebs with figures of 14-1-60-0, but it would come as no surprise if his form completely reversed his form in the second innings.

Anderson bowled one over from the Pavilion End, but was suffering with a virus and trudged off with his six balls costing eight runs, he can return straight away today.

Chapple bowling from the Statham end was proving a real handful again, Hales had his off stump flattened and the pair of left handers were playing and missing with regularity on the tricky pitch. But without Smith and Anderson, Chapple’s options were extremely limited, Proctor could not find his line, Croft bowled a few overs of flighted filth but it was left to Chapple and Kerrigan’s slow left armers to provide the control as the bowling was changed with great regularity.

 Edwards (badly dropped earlier) hit Kerrigan for six but fell leg before to the next ball for 40, 87 for two. Lumb batting with great patience was unbeaten with 40 (134 balls) and with Patel on 21, Notts closed with a lead of 145 on 122 for two. Anderson’s fitness will be crucial as another 100 runs this morning would put Notts in a very commanding position. Batting remains hazardous as the Notts treaded carefully whilst scoring at just 2.39 runs per over.