v Somerset LV Championship 2015 at Trent Bridge

WICKETS AND NOTTS TUMBLE TO DEFEAT

Day 3

Notts tumbled to a disastrous 133 run defeat on a day when 22 wickets fell in cool showery conditions where 10 overs were lost but the extra half hour was claimed.

 

Notts added 31 runs to the overnight total. Ball was caught at point off Allenby for 9. Patel got to 56 when he was caught at long off, Overton the bowler. Notts 226 all out; a deficit of 86 runs.

 

The wicket though was a handful to bat on and getting worse, any chase much beyond 200 seemed an extremely tricky target. Notts had to bowl out the visitors for 120 or under.

 

Things got off to a dream start when Trescothick lost his middle stump to the fifth ball of the innings. A pair for the Somerset captain as Philander had bagged his former team-mate twice in the match.

 

Myburgh was taken at third slip off the South African for the second blob of the innings, four for two. Abell hit a couple of fours, but with his score on 11 he was leg before to Wood bowling from the Pavilion End, 12 for three. Cooper fell in identikit fashion for two, 25 for four.

 

Such was the lack of confidence that Read had in his other bowlers, Mullaney came on as first change. Mullaney who has spent his whole Notts championship bowling career under bowled had the Somerset batsman groping. With the score on 45, Hildreth (23) became the third leg before victim of the innings when Grim Tim raised the finger as Mullaney picked up his first wicket of the innings.

 

Ball replaced Philander and removed Allenby’s (14) off stump, 59 for six. A miracle win was still possible.

 

Trego and Gregory added 27 runs when Ball was perhaps a touch fortunate to get Trego leg before for 24. The game though started to drift away when Barrow and Gregory added a further 39. Gurney came on as the fifth bowler and had Barrow top edging where Mullaney took the catch, 125 for eight. The lead was now over 200 and the match seemed over. Philander returned and got Overton out leg before for two. The tenth wicket added a further 25 valuable runs as Groenewald hit Mullaney for two sixes until finally skying one to Gurney to depart 21. Gregory was left with an innings high 26 not out as Somerset closed on 161 all out. The wickets were spread around with Philander being the pick with three for 47. Notts had collectively bowled so much better than their first innings efforts when certain bowlers had let the team down.

 

Notts needed a very distant 248 runs to win. Mullaney got to seven when played a poor stroke to be caught by Abell at mid wicket, Groenewald the bowler. With score on 24, Brendan Taylor was plumb leg before to Gregory for 8. Greg Smith (4) fell to an outstanding catch at second slip by Trescothick, the ball coming very fast but the Somerset captain took the catch low down to his left, 28 for three; Overton the bowler. Wessels looked reasonably solid but James Taylor (8) was once again leg before shuffling across his crease to Allenby, 57 for four.

 

Next over, Patel (1) was caught at slip by Trescothick off Overton. Samit staying in his crease until Grim Tim confirmed the ball had carried, 58 for five.

 

Wessels playing relatively comfortably got to 30 until edging Gregory where Trescothick got his third catch of the innings, 81 for seven.

 

Wood picked up a pair when he edged Groenewald to the keeper. Ball and Philander had a breezy partnership of 28, before Ball fell to an outstanding catch at backward point by Myburgh as Groenewald picked his third of the innings. The walking wicket that is Gurney lasted six balls until Groenewald bowled him for a duck as the game finished with 10 balls of extra half hour remaining at 1920. Philander whose good match had finished on 35. Groenewald had figures of four for 41. Notts all out 114. Less than 100 people were on the ground to see the last rites.

 

The two key factors which led Notts to lose against opposition who had lost their previous four first-class games, were poor team selection and that awful day 1 bowling performance. What next? Gidman and Fletcher two bowlers with proven first-class records must return for Ball and the out of form Gurney. Gidman must be very frustrated as after having bowled on three featherbeds he was jettisoned for the last two matches on much more bowler friendly surfaces. With Notts likely to lose Hales and Titch Taylor to the one-day international programme, they are already in deep trouble in the championship. With their end of season form being normally extremely poor, the DofC must find his correct bowling line-up very soon otherwise relegation is a very distinct possibility. MAG

Day 2
Somerset grab the initiative 

After heavy rain morning rain only 44 overs were possible at Trent Bridge but in that time Somerset took a tight grip on proceedings with Notts still 117 runs behind with only two wickets left.

The rain stopped about 1315 and after a 1415 inspection play was start to at 1500. However a heavy shower just before the hour meant play did not commence until 1525.

The two Taylors took their overnight partnership to 40 runs when Brendan Taylor fell leg before to Gregory for 22. Somerset were pitching the ball up and the helpful atmospheric and pitch conditions did the rest, batting was not easy. Wessels (8) scratched around for 21 balls before falling to a catch at second slip by Trescothink off Allenby bowling from the Pavilion End, 121 for four.

James Taylor appeared to be caught behind off Groenewald as Grim Tim raised the finger, but to Barrow’s great credit he admitted he had not taken the legside catch cleanly. Shortly afterwards Taylor’s grafting innings ended as he was comprehensively bowled by Groenewald for 45, 137 for five.

Craig Overton took a fine caught and bowled as Read perished for 6. Patel and Philander added 37 runs for the seventh wicket until Overton ripped out Philander’s middle stump as he departed for 12.

Luke Wood (0) appeared to find Overton’s pace too much and off his fifth ball he hit the ball back to the Devonian who took fine caught and bowled one handed. Ball got off the mark with a couple through the covers and then off the final over Patel edged through the slips. Notts closed on 195 for eight with Patel 35 not out. Young Barrow struggled behind the stumps as 16 leg byes and seven byes were conceded as Mr Extras had 36. Somerset though had collectively bowled so much better than their Notts counterparts and had reaped the benefits.

The talk during the rain break centred on the Fletcher loan move, no one could see the logic behind it. The non selection of him and Gidman, two proven accurate bowlers on a green top has appeared to have cost Notts the game. Notts though could point out that Durham won last week after conceding an 82 run lead in the first innings. Notts have a lot of hard work to do to get something out of this game. A showery day is on the cards tomorrow with a dry forecast for Wednesday. MAG

Day One

Notts fail to take full advantage of green strip

An erratic bowling performance by Notts meant that Somerset had the better of the opening exchanges on a cool and cloudy day at The Bridge.

Notts won the toss and inserted the visitors on a green pitch. Not helping themselves by the mystifying Fletcher loan move, Jake Ball replaced Brett Hutton and Greg Smith replaced the bench warming IPL man Hales from the team who had ultimately disappointed by the Riverside.

Philander bowled an excellent opening spell from the Radcliffe Road End. Trescothick was bamboozled in the opening over and off it’s last ball his stumps were demolished by the South African, Captain Marcus out for a duck. Wood was struggling with his line from the Pavilion End, but with the score on 21 Abell edged Philander to Read to depart for 10.

The third wicket added 78 as Myburgh after a lot of playing and missing early doors and surviving a run out chance to Samit got to 49 when at 1245 Read realised it was Mull o’clock. With his fourth ball Mullaney removed Myburgh’s off stump. Next over Hildreth (32) shouldered arms to Philander. It got even better as just like that, Tom Cooper (1) got to a leading edge to Mullaney as the ball spooned to James Taylor at point. Three wickets had fallen for two runs in eleven balls as Somerset went to lunch at 101 for five. Though Philander and Mullaney had bowled well, the supporting cast had bowled poorly on a helpful wicket with line and length somewhat awry.

Unfortunately things did not get better after lunch as Trego and Allenby added an invaluable 85 runs off 15 overs.  Mullaney broke the partnership bowling Trego for a 53-ball 41 an innings containing eight fours.

Luke Wood returned and started to bowl much better, Gregory received some chin music from the Cuckney youngster and then lost his off stump to depart for 17, 229 for seven.

Allenby then edged Philander low to Brendan Taylor at second slip. The former Glamorgan and Leicester man gone for 64; an innings which contained 11 fours.

Gurney and Ball served up some mediocre fare as Craig Overton tucked in to score a rapid 31-ball 55 an innings which included 11 fours which was finally ended when Gurney finally found his radar, 311 for nine. Next over, Groenewald was bowled by Wood for a blob, as young keeper Alex Barrow was undefeated on 23.

The help given to the bowlers was underlined by the fact that seven Cidermen were out bowled during the innings. Somerset’s 312 was probably 70 or so over par, the bowling has to improve soon otherwise Notts will be in a real relegation struggle. Somerset scoring at 4.47 RPO. Patel’s spin was surprising  completely ignored and bowling honours belonged to the excellent Philander (4 for 56) and Mullaney (3 for 44). Young Wood improved as the day went on to finish with two for 61. Gurney (15-1-65-1)  and Ball (11-1-68-0) bowled poorly and the accuracy of either Fletcher or Gidman was sadly missed.

Notts faced a tricky 24 overs. Mullaney got to 19 when Gregory rapped him on the pads, Grim Tim taking an age before raising his finger, 36 for one. Greg Smith (8) on his Notts championship debut hit a brace of fours then was plumb leg before to Groenewald who replaced Gregory from the Radcliffe Road End. The two Taylors saw Notts to close on 57 for two. The Somerset bowlers had been more accurate as Notts crawled along at 2.37 RPO. Notts will be hoping that he pitch eases during the remaining three days of this fixture as they trail by 255 runs. .MAG

Preview

With Alex Hales jetted off to Hyderabad to play for Mumbai Injuns against the Sunrisers and a total lack of killer instinct evident on day 3 from the bowlers at Durham, change is inevitable for tomorrow's Championship home game against Somerset.


The announced squad:

Steve Mullaney, 
Brendan Taylor,
Greg Smith, 
Samit Patel, 
Riki Wessels, 
James Taylor, 
Chris Read, 
Vernon Philander, 
Brett Hutton, 
Luke Wood, 
Harry Gurney, 
Jake Ball, 
Will Gidman

Andy Carter is still absent with a Glamorgan induced injury and Luke Fletcher is farmed off to Surrey, hopefully to improve his fitness but not to returned crocked either. Hopefully the ground staff can produce a wicket with plenty for the batsmen and the bowlers to reap the rewards from.