v Warwickshire LV= at Edgbaston

All too predictable at Birmingham

After a faltering start to day 4, a bit of gutsy resilience and then some umpiring disputes centred on a bump-ball??? catch and an LBW outside off stump????, Notts collapsed to 171/7 straight after tea.

Was it bump ball or not, Samit thought it was, Trevor Jesty thought the opposite - the Bears would have appealed regardless.

The procession of batsman was all too predictable however.

Highlight, Alex Hales 58, 254 minutes, 182 balls

185/8 28 overs remaining

nine down with 217 required............... last rites, Gurney at the crease.

Notts all out 210

Barkergate on Day Three

This match took a probable decisive twist on an eventful third day as poor Notts batting and a three wicket spell from Keith Barker virtually handed the game to The Bears.

With the wicket now offering some turn and uneven bounce albeit on a slowish surface, any hopes of Notts batting through the final game seem distant. If they fail in their face saving mission, they will be 27 points ahead of the relegation trap door having not won for six games.

Lumb (51) looked uncomfortable against Patel the previous night and he was out in his first over the morning chipping the ball straight back to the bowler, 134 for three. Taylor and Patel put their heads down and took the score to 177 for three when drinks were taken at noon. Straight after the resumption, Patel (19) chased a wide one from Barker and was caught at slip by Chopra. Barker who was occasionally making highly unsporting movements with his arm during his run up removed Taylor as edged him to Tiny Tim behind the stumps. Taylor’s 80 was chanceless and included 13 fours off 133 balls, a fine effort. Three balls later, Read’s woeful 2013 continued when Barker once again paying homage to Magnus Pike waved his arms about and the captain edged to Ambrose. Read has less championship runs than Fletcher this season, 182 for six and Notts were on the ropes. Shahzad came to the wicket and was having no more of Barker’s antics and twice walked away whilst the former Rochdale player performed his ritual. The umpires stepped in and had words with captain Chopra and Rikki Clarke, the latter being a member of the Surrey side of 2005 who lost eight points and were relegated after a ball tampering incident against the Green and Gold.  Shahzad’s antics of walking to square leg after every delivery a la Chris Tavare were misunderstood by the Brummie crowd as being equally unsporting. His ritual being no worse that Jonathon Trott’s antics between every delivery. Any way back to the cricket, Shahzad and Hussey saw Notts to the interval with no further mishaps on 200 for six.

Straight after luncheon Shahzad was caught at short leg off Clarke for eight. Without the ballast of Paul Franks and with Mullaney opening Notts had a long tail which was predictably rapidly devoured. Hussey (16) still to find form in non pyjama cricket chipped Patel to midwicket; Fletcher was bowled middle stump by the same bowler and finally Adams (7) was bowled making room by Rankin. Notts 217 all out, 246 runs behind and a very disappointing effort. Jeetan Patel had out bowled his Notts namesake to take four for 60 and Barker had three for 44.

Chopra then surprised everyone by not enforcing the follow-on. With over 150 overs remaining making Notts bat again seemed a no brainer. In the spirit of Marcus Trescothick, The Bears negative decision had left the door ajar for Notts to get a draw.

Westwood fell nine balls into reply taken at slip off Shahzad for a duck, who once again bowled well. Chopra was adjudged to be leg before off Fletcher; the ball appeared to going down leg side but umpire Jesty begged to differ. First innings hero, Evans was bowled to Shahzad for two, 32 for three. Porterfield then edged Gurney to Read, 55 for four. The hardness of the new ball had made batting trickier as the wicket was clearly getting more uneven bounce.

After tea, Ambrose became the first Bears batsman to lose his wicket to an attacking stroke being caught at first slip by Hales off Patel. Crucially off his first ball, Clarke was dropped at short extra low down by substitute Graeme White on for birthday boy Adams who was suffering from food poisoning. As the wicket eased Clarke and Woakes put the Notts bowlers to the sword by adding 104 runs in 17 overs. Woakes (60) was eventually stumped off the returning Patel as Warwick declared three balls later with Clarke unbeaten on 54 off 41 balls an innings that included three sixes. Warwick had set Notts a notional 427 runs off 107 overs.

Hales was dropped on 8 by Clarke at second slip off that man Barker, a sharp chance, but Mullaney (26*) and Hales (9*) saw Notts unscathed at the close with 38 for nought off 11 overs. Jeetan Patel though had got a couple to spit with the new ball and long last day remains. Notts have a stronger batting line up than the home team but unfortunately their bowling attack lacks bite and not for the first time in 2013 the lack of top line spinner has been exposed. Notts will do well to save this one; they will hope that their excellent team spirit will see them safely over the line. MAG

Turgid day (2) at Edgbaston

Notts trail Warwickshire by 332 runs with eight first innings remaining as this turgid match moves into Day 3.

Notts failed to take a wicket in the morning session as the state of the wicket was summed up when the two relative novices Evans and Javid made relatively untroubled progress. 

Evans reached his ton off 260 balls but accelerated as he brought up his 150 in only a further 37 balls.  Hussey was brought on for a solitary over from the Pavilion End which went for 18, including consecutive sixes off the first two balls. He was then returned to patrolling the ropes in front of the Rea Bank Stand. Javid was chugging along with Notts positioning three short extra covers for him at one stage. The Bears went to lunch on 383 for six having added 129 runs in the morning session. Notts were further handicapped as Adams left the field clearly looking out of sorts, George Bacon coming on as substitute.

The seventh wicket partnership reached 199 when with much surprise Laurie Evans was beaten in the flight by Patel to be bowled for 178 with 22 fours and three sizes;  a career best which could well remain a lifetime high. Samit Patel had a mixed day bowling far too many full tosses. Barker came in and added 38 runs with Javid but the scoring rate was still soporific as the home side lacked urgency. Shahzad finally got a deserved wicket with Javid edged him to Read, the young right hander had scored 83 off 240 balls with just six fours, a functional innings lacking any real entertainment. Luke Fletcher then bowled by Jeetan Patel for 6. Finally a spot of Porridge, as Norman Stanley removed “Ronnie” Barker for 23, Mullaney taking a leg side catch as Warwickshire marathon innings closed on 463 scored at 2.99 RPO, shades of Notts opening effort at Scarborough last month. Patel, Adams and Fletcher all finished with three wickets.

Tea was taken between the innings and Notts lost Mullaney leg before to the first ball of the innings, he was absolute adjacent as Woakes was the successful bowler. Worse was to follow when Hales failed to use his bat to Jeetan Patel’s off spinners and was out leg before for a disappointing 17; 47 for two. Patel was getting a few balls to turn with the newish ball as Lumb was clearly uncomfortable. Notts though rode the storm as the introduction of Rankin relieved the pressure, Titch Taylor hit three consecutive boundaries as the erratic Irishman went for 29 off four overs. The unbroken third wicket partnership had added 84 by the time stumps were drawn at 1821 with Taylor more fluid on 54 and Lumb on 50. Another very hot day is forecast for today.    MAG

Andre Adams on form at hot Edgbaston

Another slow, low pitch meant for another attritional day at sunny and warm Edgbaston yesterday. Warwickshire closed on 254 for six with right hander Laurie Evans on 85 not out.

There were two changes to the Oval line up, Fletcher and Hales replacing White and Wessels. The Bears were without Captain Jim Troughton and stress fracture of the back victim Chris Wright.

Warwick won the toss and elected to bat. The surface was low throughout. The wicket was pitched well to the Rea Bank side of the square, but given the recent dry conditions the outfield was surprisingly slow.

Fletcher removed danger man Chopra to a sharp slip catch by Samit Patel for 10 in the ninth over, 28 for one.  Porterfield (10) was struggling against Adams, the Kiwi having bowled a couple of out swingers, fooled the Irishman with one that cut in and he had his off bail removed, 43 for two.

Warwick closed a slow morning session on 54 for two, 32 overs; Laurie Evans somehow surviving a barrage of bouncers from Adams despite looking all at sea.

The hot conditions continued after lunch, Westwood on 32 was dropped by Patel at second slip a sharp chance off the persevering Shahzad. Patel rushed off for treatment on a damaged finger as birthday boy Hussey briefly replaced him, having been banished from the slips in the last couple of games. Westwood eventually reached a 50 but straight after Shahzad was unlucky again as Hales dropped him at first slip, a chance at shoulder height. Patel returned and Westwood played a poor shot chipping him to mid on where Adams took the easy catch. His 68 came off 152 balls with seven fours. Ambrose added impetus to the innings as 34 were added in the four overs before tea, as Patel and Mullaney proved expensive, The Bears were 186 for three at the break having added 132 runs for the loss of a single wicket in the middle session.

Things got better after the break, Ambrose did “a Samit” as he nicked Adams to Read following a leg side delivery, a bonus wicket with the Australian out for 39 off 43 balls with seven balls. Woakes played a brief cameo; he was dropped on four by Read off Shahzad, the Notts keeper having an untidy day behind the stumps. Patel came on but removed Woakes (14) as the batsman was bowled attempting a cut, 208 for five. The champagne moment of the day then arrived when the prolific Clarke was brilliantly caught at mid wicket by the flying Titch Taylor off the deserving Adams, Clarke out for a duck, 213 for six. Shortly after the new ball was taken but Fletcher and Shahzad were guilty of not letting the batsman playing enough. Warwickshire closed on 254 for six with Evans despite constantly struggling against short ball still there on 85 and young Javid putting down anchor with 8 not out off 65 balls. Adams was the pick of bowlers with 24-7-49-3 arguably his best day of 2013. Fletcher having removed Chopra earlier on was not at his best, but Shahzad was unlucky not to have picked up a wicket. Notts will be hoping to bowl Warwick out for 300 or under on a pitch which could crack up later.