v Warwickshire LV Championship at Edgbaston

Bears claw their way to victory

Any demons that were apparent on day three for the Notts stellar batsmen, on day 4 look to have faded away as the Bears' with a consistent batting effort all down their scorecard, where again almost every batsman  made a significant contribution to the score, took the home side safely over the winning line just after tea. 


The margin of victory was 3 wickets. Warwickshire's chief contributor was Tim Ambrose with 82*  but in reality the difference between the two sides was that Warwickshire's eleven batsman valued their wicket more than their Notts counterparts over the two innings.

Events might have been different if on a wearing wicket if Notts have had a fronline spinner to call upon on the final day, Samit Patel 23-10-36-3, really wasn't menacing enough. The Nottinghamshire  problem this match was that their last 5 wickets made a total of 68 and 73 runs over the match, whereas Warwick's made 218 and  6th, 7th and 8th had put on 61 runs when victory was achieved.

A close game but a good run of form by two or three Notts batsmen has been squandered on this occasion, not wanting to take any credit away from Chris Woakes who had a terrific match with bat and ball and Chris Wright who Notts don't seem to have any luck bowling at.

Nottinghamshire now lose not only this game but the services of Phil Jaques also; where will Notts turn to now?

Jaques being a left handed batsman ultimately replaced the injured Michael Lumb rather than the intended the Alex IPL-bound Hales and his departure will leave a gap.

Michael Lumb might return sooner rather than later to fill the void but it was interesting to see that Joe Root's brother Billy was knocking about at Edgbaston yesterday with the Notts team, Billy is also a LHB and has made some sparkling runs for the Notts 2s and Suffolk already this summer. DDG

Bears sense victory? But Notts hope to win? 

on a fascinating final day

A fascinating final day is in prospect at Edgbaston today as Warwickshire require a further 228 runs with eight second innings wickets standing.

Fletcher (3) lasted four overs until he lost his middle peg from a delivery from Woakes that kept low. Six overs later Mullaney (10) played on as Woakes picked up his second wicket.

Jaques and Hales batted sensibly as Warwick bowled well in the first hour it was clear that the pitch was started deteriorate when facing bowling from the City End.

Jaques was particularly impressive on the off side and rode his luck a couple of times edging the ball behind the stumps and with Hales reining his natural attacking instincts in Notts went to lunch on 92 for two. A satisfactory morning for the Green and Gold.

With the third wicket stand worth 84, Woakes delivered a ball which took a subterranean route which saw the end of Hales for a patient 31 off 71 balls with a paltry three fours. The pitch was getting harder and harder to bat on. Chris Wright replaced Woakes and removed Taylor for 13, all four batsman had been bowled and all from the same end.

Jaques magnificent innings came to an end as Rankin became the latest bowler to reap dividends from the City End as Jaques played on for 124 ball 79 with 13 fours. He will now return to Australia and will prove irreplaceable having scored 894 runs at 49.66. More importantly after a slow start, the left hander has ensured the days of Notts being 20 for two were a distant memory. His running between the wickets was excellent and his temperament unflappable. Notts are lucky that he will return in 2015. Notts now 152 for five.

Jeetan Patel replaced Rankin and Wessels was caught at short leg for nine, 176 for six.  Read then inside edged Patel’s off spinners to depart bowled for eight. That was now all seven from the City End and six of them bowled!

Straight after tea Siddle (8) had brain failure as he charged Patel and was stumped by yards. This was the last ball of the over and Woakes had changed ends and Patel bizarrely refused a single with Adams as non striker. He then played a dreadful shot straight to Barker at mid on. Patel gone for a well made 34.

Woakes continuingly denied Adams full range from his golf swing as he was bowling well wide of off stump. Adams edged one from two and then was dropped as the ball went into orbit. He eventually got the full bat on one but found Hain on the large offside boundary took at deep extra cover as Adams went for 9. Notts 226 all out with Woakes following his 91 with five for 35. Once again the tail had flopped.

Although probably looking for a lead of 300 to 320, a lead of 288 was more than useful. Clearly if all the Notts bowlers bowled to form they should win this game.

Inspection of the pitch at teatime revealed massive footmarks created by Barker bowling the Pavilion End who bowls very close to the stumps

The Bears openers added 22 until Siddle bowling from the City End got Chopra to play a pull shot which spooned to Fletcher at mid on he raised his hand to say “Mine” and he took the easiest of catches.  The home crowd were clearly not amused.   Clearly the most sensible option on such a helpful surface was to pitch the ball up, but Notts got obsessed with bouncing Trott once more. Adams bowling from the Pavilion End got one to rap Trott’s pads when on seven and he appeared to extremely fortunate to survive the appeal...Umpires Call!

Gurney bowling much better than he did in innings one replaced Siddle and Porterfield was palpably leg before for 22 as Wright came in as night watchman. Warwick closed on 61 for two.

A fascinating last day awaits, Warwickshire bat much more deeply than Notts and are less likely to throw their wickets so recklessly however if Notts bowl line and length from the City End they should win this fixture. They may however regret they do not a frontline spinner. Conditions from the Pavilion End are much more batsman friendly although the wicket is getting increasingly slower.

The bottom line is if Notts have genuine championship aspirations they must now win this fixture that had dominated for the first two and half days. Time for Siddle to prove his international class. MAG

Woakes and Wright wreck Notts' day

Notts lead by 64 runs with all 10 second wickets intact going to day 3 of this fixture; the lead should have been larger with a missed stumping proving crucial.

Notts resumed on 397 for seven, but yet another tail end capitulation ensured only nine runs were added. Luke Fletcher (2) hit the a Chris Wright delivery straight Trott to mid-wicket on 399, With the score on 402, Adams’ (2) determination to strike every ball he faced into another parish ended when he hit the ball to long on where Barker took the catch, Woakes the bowler. With the Tinman seemingly a different proposition with the bat now he is a Fox, the mantle of county crickets worse batsman appears to have passed onto Harry Gurney, it took a mere seven balls for him to be bowled by Woakes for a duck. Read was stranded on 18 not out with Notts 406 all out, the last five wickets having gone down for 10 runs. Like the Somerset first innings last week, and the similar efforts at Taunton and Hove, Notts had careless tossed away late runs after the top order had built a perfect platform.

Gurney was somewhat Bertie Basset all day, but Siddle, Adams and Fletcher bowled early good spells with the ball as Warwickshire top order struggled. Siddle got one to move off the seam from the City End and found Porrterfield’s edge as Read took the catch. Trott making his championship comeback was given a barrage of bouncers but he survived them. Adams came on from the Pavilion End and Trott was palpably leg before for 23, 76 for two. In the next over, the metronomic Fletcher yorked Chopra middle stump as the makeshift captain departed with 33 to his name. Tiny Tim (10) became the next leg before victim for Adams as Warwickshire were now 89 for four.

Siddle came on for another spell from the City End; his third ball was a vicious effort and young Sam Hain edged to Read, 125 for five. Warwickshire bat extremely deep and 45 runs were added for the sixth wicket until Clarke (24) hit Adams straight to Siddle at mid-wicket. Keith Barker hit a breezy 15 until edging Adams to the Patel at second slip who parried the ball to Wessels at first slip who took a fine catch on the ricochet diving forward, 188 for seven.

Gurney returned but his radar was off kilter as Woakes and Jeetan Patel went on the attack, 39 runs were added for the eight wicket until Jeetan Patel edged Siddle to Samit Patel at second for a run a ball 24, 227 for eight. Chris Wright is a capable number 10 with a first-class average of 16, and with ball getting older batting was becoming easier and easier. With Warwick 150 behind, Wright advanced down the pitch to Patel, the former Essex and Middlesex missed the ball that kept low but so unfortunately did the Notts skipper as the follow-on was avoided. In a reprise of Somerset game last week, the tiring Notts bowlers could not dislodge the ninth wicket pair. Read suddenly remembered Mullaney was playing and he was very belatedly given two overs before the second new ball was taken and Mull found the edge twice. Gurney after a poor day with the ball was a surprising choice to take the new ball with Siddle. Eventually and after the Notts fielders made a habit of continuing diving over the ball 108 runs had been added for the ninth wicket, Gurney in the fourth over with the new ball bowled Chris Woakes for a fine 91 made off 177 balls with 13 fours. In the next Wright was bowled by Siddle for a 79-ball 65 with 14 fours. Warwickshire 343 all out, at least 75 runs more than should have got. Adams finished with four for 67 and Siddle four for 91. Gurney after being star of the show against Somerset finished with figures 18-3-78-1.

The Green and Gold momentum had appeared to have been lost but Notts still had a useful lead of 63; night watch man Luke Fletcher and Mullaney negotiated the final two overs of the days as Notts were one for nought at stumps. The wicket is getting flatter and Notts will be looking to bat all day and set The Bears 400 plus on the last day. MAG

Hales sets the pace

A superb first day in Birmingham for Notts after being put in under cloudy skies as they closed on 397 for seven.

Luke Fletcher replaced Ajmal Shahzad from the winning line up against Somerset; Notts resisted the temptation the of giving Gary Keedy his first team debut.

On a wicket on the Rea Bank side of the square, Mullaney and Jaques made steady progress with the 50 coming up after 12 overs. Soon after Mullaney carelessly threw his wicket away pulling a short ball from Rikki Clarke straight down deep square leg’s throat, 55 for one, Mullaney out for 21. Jaques was batting superbly; timing the ball extremely well he passed 800 championship runs for the season. In desperation Chopra turned to Jonathan Trott from the Pavilion End. On the stroke of lunch, Jaques edged his gentle seamers as Ambrose took the catch, Jaques gone for 77 off 89 balls with 14 fours. Notts 146 for two at the intermission. Warwick had bowled poorly in the first session and Notts had taken full advantage.

Hales who batted aggressively from the word go the added 71 for third wicket with James Taylor. The scoring rate though slowed after the ball was finally replaced after numerous attempts by The Bears to get it changed. Rankin finally came on after been ignored for 43 overs with ironic cheers from the ever droll Brummie crowd. Getting lift from the City End the Irishman removed James Taylor (36) in his second over as he edged to Ambrose.  Patel did not last long but did get to 900 championship runs for the season but not for the first time he was strangled down the legside for just a single, as Rankin took a wicket in consecutive overs. Wessels got off to slow start as Warwickshire were bowling with much better control, but with Hales added 119 runs in 35 overs for the fifth wicket. Hales reached his ton off 134 balls with 15 fours. Like Basher Hassan before him, Hales clearly likes batting at Edgbaston as this was his third ton on the ground.

The new ball was taken and straight away Wessels in such fine form pulled Barker for a massive six which ended in the River Rea Bank beside the ground. The umpires pulled out the fourth ball of the day but Wessels hit the ball straight to Porterfield at point, Wessels tamely out for a 115-ball 53, he had accelerated after a slow start. Yet another 50 partnership followed as Hales and Read added 58 runs for the sixth wicket. Hales got his 150 by pulling the disappointing Woakes for a six. One short of his personal best of 184 against the Wurzels three years ago, Hales was leg before to Rankin bowling from the City End. Hales had batted magnificently for his 183 off 224 balls with 25 fours and one six. In the next over and the last of the days ration, Siddle edged Wright to Chopra at first slip to depart for a single. Read was unbeaten on 15 as Notts closed on 397 for seven. They will be looking a further 40 or 50 runs today to put pressure on The Bears and with the Tykes not playing Notts currently stand four points clear at the top. A very satisfying day after being put in. MAG