v Yorkshire LV= at Trent Bridge

Notts go down to a crushing defeat

Notts went down to the inevitable heavy defeat against the cock-a-hoop White Rose losing by 10 wickets shortly after 1430 on a warm and sultry day.

David Hussey (24) went to the fifth ball of the morning edging Sidebottom into Bairstow’s gloves. Wessels and Read lasted 18 overs together until Wessels (22) edged Jack Brooks low down to Lyth at second slip, 167 for six. Read pleasingly found some form scoring his first championship fifty of the season as he and Shahzad added 42 in 12 overs, until Shahzad (19) pulled a rank long hop from Rashid straight to mid-wicket.  Read departed shortly after lunch edging Sidebottom to Bairstow for a patient 58 off 110 balls. The breakthrough innings at last? Adams and Fletcher put bat to ball adding 34 in five overs. Rashid though fooled both Fletcher (19) and Gurney (0) who skied chances to the infield as Notts were all out for 256 with Adams stranded on 31 not out. Plunkett apart the visitors attack was just too good for a Notts batting line up clearly short on confidence.

Yorkshire knocked off their 10 runs target off five balls as Adam Lyth hit Fletcher went for three fours. With Derbyshire as expected beating Middlesex the pressure is ever mounting on Notts. As ever Mick Newell was very honest in his assessment of the inept performance, things have to improve fast. Unfortunately Notts seem incapable of taking 20 wickets on any surface, so unless they are given a run chase in a rain ravaged match, their likelihood of victory in any of the last four games seem somewhat remote. They are relying on the team below them not winning any of their remaining matches, but Derbyshire have still both Surrey and Somerset to play, so something must give. Start that rain dance now!

Sidebottom et al humiliate Notts

A horrendous day for Notts saw them follow-on and still 139 runs behind with only six second innings wickets left as players left the field shortly before 1900.

Yorkshire added 80 runs to their overnight score as Notts were handicapped by not being allowed to bowl Fletcher first up, due to him going lame the night before. The ninth wicket pair of Bairstow and Patterson eventually added 91 valuable runs, as Notts failed to gain the last bowling point. Adams eventually got the last two wickets as Patterson edged to Read for 40, his sixth victim of the innings. Bairstow was bowled making room for 62 off just 70 balls with eleven fours. Yorkshire 397 all out with Fletcher eventually finishing with five for 93.

Notts faced an awkward half an hour before lunch and lost Hales and Lumb both for ducks as Sidebottom was clearly relishing his return to The Bridge in increasingly humid conditions. Hales edged the left armer into Bairstow’s gloves and Lumb was leg before for a second successive time for a duck having fallen the same way at Hove last Thursday. Far worse to follow as Yorkshire went through the Notts batting order like a knife through butter. Mullaney (13) lasted 34 balls before edging Patterson behind; 25 for three. It’s well known that Samit cannot resist shortish leg side balls it was no surprise when he clipped Sidebottom straight to Jaques at midwicket. Patel gone for 23; 41 for 4. Hussey was lucky to survive an inside edge off Patterson that raced for four but was soon on his way as the same bowler had him palpably leg before for 13, 57 for five. Wessels was next on the conveyor belt as he fell to catch behind off Sid for 4. The unfortunate walking wicket that is Chris Read these days lasted a grand total of 11 balls, before shuffling across his crease and he was leg before to Patterson for a single. Fletcher only succeeded in blasting the ball straight to mid-wicket for another duck, Notts now 65 for eight, as rain droplets were in the air. Adams blasted a couple of boundaries as a heavy shower arrived at 1453 with Notts 78 for eight. Play resumed at 1555 after an early tea with three overs lost. Adams and Shahzad put the wicket into perspective adding 50 in just six overs of fun; shades of MacGill and Malik a decade earlier against Essex. Eventually Adams fell to a catch on  the run by Sid at long leg for 39 off just 17 balls. Gurney (4) lasted 26 balls and added a further 35 runs before falling off the fourth ball of Rashid’s opening over to catch by Plunkett. Shahzad the former Yorkshire player ended as top scorer with 41 not out. Sid with four for 43 and Patterson 5 for 43 had made mincemeat of Notts batting line up clearly missing Taylor’s determination and doggedness. Yorkshire had bowled superbly in conditions ideally suited to swing bowling. The heavy shower made life more difficult for them as the ball got older and overhead conditions less sticky.

Notts followed on 257 runs behind in a hopeless position. The opening partnership of Mullaney and Hales added 22 until edged behind as Brooks picked up his first wicket of the match. Sidebottom was clearly far too good for Mullaney and he was put out his misery as fell leg before for six, Sid not even bothering looking back at the umpire clearly knowing that the finger would rise. Patel and Lumb added 45 runs before Lumb fell to caught and bowled chance by Plunkett, the left hander gone for 20. Patel was presented with some tasty leg side morsels he nearly fell to catch by Sid in front of The Fridge but the inevitable happened as he flicked one up to deep square leg where substitute Pyrah took a stupendous catch leaping salmon like to take the catch. Patel gone for 37. Hussey (22*) and Wessels (12*) saw Notts through to the close taken prematurely with seven overs remaining with the floodlights on. Notts 118 for four and staring into abyss.

Clearly  the recent poor form in pyjama cricket has carried over to the red ball stuff, with confidence clearly low. Yorkshire had played like potential champions and unfortunately it was men against boy’s cricket for most of the day.

What next for Notts, Franks must come back to add steel and determination to a side where certain individuals need an extreme kick up the backside. The bowling is clearly Division Two material but the batting should be better than this but with Read is such dire form with the willow they now lack middle order stability. My calendar has the date as August 22, today’s performance was more a typical Notts September performance. The current management structure has repeatedly failed to show the skill set to prevent end of season implosion. I sincerely hope that they prove the growing list of doubters wrong. Oh to have Hashim Amla in green and gold........  

Lion-heart Fletcher keeps Yorkshire in check

After winning the toss and inserting Yorkshire, Notts will be disappointed with their first day’s efforts as Yorkshire closed on 327 for eight. But it could have been a lot worse as a herculean bowling performance from Luke Fletcher kept Notts in the game. A good sized crowd, swelled by large visiting contingent watched an entertaining days cricket played in warm sunshine from lunchtime onwards.

With Titch Taylor on Lions duty, Wessels came in. Yorkshire meanwhile benefitted from Bairstow’s non-selection for England and also had Phil Jaques returning from a long injury lay off and Kiwi Kane Williamson debuting. Gary Ballance was with Taylor in the West Country.

The wicket was green and with cloudy conditions Read’s decision to bowl seem logical. Lees fell in the fourth over taken by the captain off Gurney who had off colour day. Yorkshire cashed in on the lack of third man and were scoring at five an over. Jaques fell leg before to Fletcher for 19; 61 for two. Adams was bowling off a few paces and appeared to be not at full fitness, but Notts selected him ahead of both Franks and Jake Ball. Lyth was dropped low down by Patel at second slip off Adams when on 33, a costly miss. Lyth and Gale added 76 in 22 overs for the second wicket before the Bulwell Metronome had Yorkshire skipper caught behind for 33. Williamson who had not batted for three months in a first-class match guided his first ball from Fletcher to Patel at slip who this time took the catch; 137 for four.

But Fletcher apart the bowling was at best mediocre with Patel once again bowling poorly. The fifth wicket added 65 until Lyth became another victim of the Read-Fletcher combination five short of his century. He had 14 fours off 168 balls. His shot for his dismissal was somewhat reckless and he will cursing himself not going on for a big ton. Rashid in good form with the bat 2013 took advantage of the indifferent bowling and added 79 for the sixth wicket with Liam Plunkett. Notts took the new ball immediately and its fifth over, Fletcher removed Rashid leg before for well made 78 off 157 balls. Shortly afterwards the Big Man went down with cramp and left the field after treatment on the boundary edge. He received a good ovation as he walked from the Radcliffe Road round towards the Pavilion. He should be fit for tomorrow morning.

Jonny Bairstow made it belatedly to the crease but lost partner Plunkett out for 41 as Read took his fourth catch of the innings as Gurney finally found his bowling radar. Sidebottom lasted nine balls before edging Gurney into skippers gloves as an exited for a duck. Bairstow (24*) and Steve Patterson (8*) saw the visitors safely to the close. Fletcher currently has figures of 24.4-6-66-5; reward for his accuracy and persistance. Gurney the most consistent Notts bowler this season finished with three for 60, but he was generally way off his best. Yorkshire will now consider themselves favourites to cement their position at the Championship summit but one would expect the pitch to get better throughout the match; overhead conditions could well determine the outcome of this match. There is no doubt based on current bowling form Notts are well and truly in a relegation battle. MAG

..............................................................................................................................

The D o C has named a squad of 13 for the visit to Trent Bridge of title chasing Yorkshire:

Steven Mullaney,
 Alex Hales,
 Michael Lumb,
 Riki Wessels,
 Samit Patel,
 David Hussey,
 Chris Read (c), 
Ajmal Shahzad,
 Luke Fletcher,
 Andre Adams,
 Harry Gurney, 
Jake Ball,
 Graeme White
The ability to take 20 wickets will be pivotal, therefore the fitness of Andre Adams will be the main focus before the game.

Most runs - First Class 2013

Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
MJ Lumb	11	18	3	883	221*	58.86	1621	54.47	3	2	2	115	4
JWA Taylor	12	18	2	874	204*	54.62	1920	45.52	2	4	0	90	2
SR Patel	12	18	0	831	256	46.16	1181	70.36	3	0	0	97	17
SJ Mullaney	10	15	0	639	104	42.60	1054	60.62	2	4	1	82	10
EJM Cowan	7	13	2	478	81	43.45	978	48.87	0	4	0	64	1
CMW Read	11	15	0	344	80	22.93	611	56.30	0	1	1	50	1
LJ Fletcher	10	15	3	305	64	25.41	624	48.87	0	2	1	39	3
A Shahzad	10	15	1	291	77	20.78	901	32.29	0	2	0	28	5
PJ Franks	6	8	0	268	78	33.50	408	65.68	0	3	0	33	3
AD Hales	8	15	0	237	58	15.80	624	37.98	0	2	3	28	1
DJ Hussey	4	5	0	160	68	32.00	245	65.30	0	1	0	21	3
AR Adams	7	9	1	157	50	19.62	160	98.12	0	1	1	18	5
MH Wessels	6	8	1	144	49	20.57	272	52.94	0	0	2	18	0
SCJ Broad	2	3	0	97	46	32.33	131	74.04	0	0	0	11	4
GP Swann	1	2	1	65	57	65.00	100	65.00	0	1	0	11	0
HF Gurney	10	12	8	56	22*	14.00	111	50.45	0	0	2	6	0
BJ Phillips	1	1	1	53	53*	-	78	67.94	0	1	0	4	1
GG White	2	2	0	23	23	11.50	61	37.70	0	0	1	3	0
JT Ball	1	1	0	15	15	15.00	26	57.69	0	0	0	3	0
A Carter	1	2	2	0	0*	-	6	0.00	0	0	0	0	0

Most wickets First Class 2013

Player	Mat	Inns	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10
HF Gurney	10	17	286.3	51	949	32	4/69	7/148	29.65	3.31	53.7	0	0
LJ Fletcher	10	17	311.1	92	843	25	3/24	4/80	33.72	2.70	74.6	0	0
A Shahzad	10	18	284.4	54	938	25	3/21	6/128	37.52	3.29	68.3	0	0
SR Patel	12	21	376.2	98	1085	25	3/40	5/169	43.40	2.88	90.3	0	0
AR Adams	7	9	163.5	32	494	16	4/69	4/69	30.87	3.01	61.4	0	0
SCJ Broad	2	4	80.0	21	213	12	4/34	8/91	17.75	2.66	40.0	0	0
PJ Franks	6	9	116.3	30	353	10	3/16	5/49	35.30	3.03	69.9	0	0
GP Swann	1	2	41.0	7	146	4	4/56	4/146	36.50	3.56	61.5	0	0
JT Ball	1	2	14.0	5	39	3	3/18	3/39	13.00	2.78	28.0	0	0
GG White	2	3	39.4	9	100	3	2/24	2/85	33.33	2.52	79.3	0	0
SJ Mullaney	10	11	53.3	7	177	3	2/51	2/51	59.00	3.30	107.0	0	0
A Carter	1	2	28.0	5	113	2	2/87	2/113	56.50	4.03	84.0	0	0
BJ Phillips	1	2	13.0	3	31	1	1/6	1/31	31.00	2.38	78.0	0	0
EJM Cowan	7	1	1.0	0	3	0	-	-	-	3.00	-	0	0
MH Wessels	6	1	2.0	0	11	0	-	-	-	5.50	-	0	0
DJ Hussey	4	2	3.0	1	24	0	-	-	-	8.00	-	0	0

from cricinfo