v Worcestershire LV Championship at Trent Bridge

FANTASTIC FOUR INCREDIBLY TRIUMPH

as four star Carter is unstoppable

Notts claimed an unbelievable victory after Worcester three down for 189 at tea collapsed spectacularly to lose six wickets in just over an hour to go down by 113 runs at 1702 with 18.2 overs unused.

The temperature dropped by 10 degrees compared yesterday's heat wave and Notts got to an excellent start when Oliver was leg before to Hilfenhaus in the second over of the day for 11, 17 for one.

Under cloudy skies Mitchell and Fell batted obdurately and Worcestershire rarely gave Notts a sniff after Hilfenhaus and Hutton had opened the bowling. Patel having bowled four overs from the Pavilion End and then switched ends bowled unchanged throughout the rest of the day in a marathon 30 over stint.

Worcester got to lunch on 117 for one with both batsmen on unbeaten fifties. It had been hard toil for the Notts bowlers and after lunch the sun came blazing out to make things worse. Twenty minutes after lunch and having not really beaten the bat in the previous two hours Fell was beaten for pace by Hutton as he departed leg before for 58, his second fifty of the match. The second wicket had added 112 runs in 36 overs.

Young Clarke came to the wicket and looked more composed in his second dig. Forty six runs were added in 16 overs when Carter being bowled in short spells knocked over Clarke's off stump as he departed for 29, 175 for three.
Notts sweating attack had hardly bowled a bad ball all day but Worcester had seemingly built a match winning platform as they went to tea needing a further 135 runs at four an over. Mitchell having survived one stumping chance looked virtually immovable.

After tea Key man Mitchell top edged Patel to backward square leg where Carter took the easiest of catches, Worcester 193 for four, Notts had made the crucial breakthrough as Mitchell had batted 204 balls in his 76. Suddenly everything unraveled as Cox drove the superb Hutton low to Mullaney at short mid-wicket to leave with 19 to his name.
Carter heavily bandaged to protect his side came on once more with the new ball only a few overs away. With his sixth ball Leach could only dab him to short leg where Wessels took the catch, six down and Worcester’s chances of victory had gone. Three overs later Patel bowled Barnard for a 32 ball duck. Ajmal was next to the crease; it looked now that concussion victim Gidman would not bat. The Pakistani lasted only three balls as he was leg before for a duck too the completely fired up Carter.
Only the rabbit Morris remained and in his next over Carter had Morris caught at backward short leg by Lumb, game over with Gidman absent hurt. Worcester had lost their last six wickets in 57 minutes as Carter had beaten the pain barrier with 12.4-2-46-4. Amazing stuff!


Worcester’s inexperienced lower middle order had been exposed by an inspired post tea bowling performance. Hutton maintaining good pace throughout the day bowled 24-4-71-2. He like Hilfenhaus had taken five wickets in the match. Patel had held in an end and achieved much more by going at just 1.20 RPO with figures of 30-16-36-2. Notts had won by 113 runs to gain an absolute crucial and unexpected victory as Chris Read led the team off to huge applause from a crowd much lower than the previous three days. This was the great confidence boost victory that the team needed. Well done all. MAG


Day3

BATTLING DAY AT TRENT BRIDGE

After a battling Notts display today, Worcester closed needing a further 311 runs with all their second innings wickets standing setting up an intriguing last day.

On the hottest day of the summer with the temperatures hitting the high 80s the overnight pair of Wessels and James Taylor made steady progress on a wicket which had now lost most of its terrors. The fourth wicket had added 105 in 35 overs when Wessels mistimed a ball from Shantry which went hurtling towards the cover boundary where Joe Clarke took a good catch on the run. Wessels the most consistent batsman of 2015 and having another good game had made 65 off 94 balls with seven fours and a six. Taylor and Patel added 27 with Taylor still batting with Hales as a runner. The ball was played into deep for what looked like a regulation three unfortunately Hales was dawdling and did not make his ground. Taylor run out for 55, 201 for 5. Notts added a further nine runs before lunch was taken.

Due to a heavy shower at lunchtime play recommenced 15 minutes late. Things got worse for Notts as Patel (31) was plumb leg before to Ajmal bowling from the Pavilion End, 234 for 6. The Worcester bowling were keeping it tight despite the stifling heat but a superb seventh wicket partnership of 103 between Chris Read and Brett Hutton kept Notts in the game as they weathered the threat after the second new ball was taken. The partnership lasted 31 overs until Hutton was leg before as a ball from Shantry hit his back leg. Hutton gone for a 101 ball 34. Unfortunately in Shantry’s next over Read tried to pull a ball that did not get up, Read’s 73 came off 122 balls with seven fours; he has been badly missed over the last month, 332 for eight.
Hilfenhaus (9) did not last long edging Shantry to sub Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Fletcher batting with Lumb as a runner was joined by last man Andy Carter and they added 25 in 14 overs until Fletcher was bowled for seven as Shantry picked up his fifth wicket. Carter was left undefeated on 17 as Notts closed on 356 all out off 126.4 overs. The wicket is now and relatively flat and with Notts only having three fit bowlers at their disposal Worcester have to remain favourites. Shantry with his windmill left armers bowled at slow medium had hardly bowled a bad ball all day and had figures of 35.4-13-48-5, a fantastic effort in the today’s furnace. Notts will look back at the daft run out along with Wessels dismissal as wickets given away but they would have settled with a 324 lead at the start of the day.


Worcester survived the remaining five overs as Oliver was dropped at square leg by Patel off Hilfenhaus. They closed on 13 for 0. There are possibility of few showers tomorrow; an hour or two lost tomorrow could make the game very interesting.MAG
Day 2

SWEAT and TOIL at TRENT BRIDGE

A hard working bowling performance meant that Notts remained in contention in this game leading by 72 runs with seven second innings intact on a steaming hot day at Trent Bridge. Worcester though are still strong favourites to win this game.

Much to our surprise Carter made it onto the pitch today and although bowling gingerly he was still giving the batsman some trouble getting a lot of bounce in the five and half overs that he bowled. Luke Fletcher meanwhile never made it to field of play with his hamstring injury.

Notts opened up with Hilfenhaus and Hutton but they failed to make the breakthrough and Samit came on for a long spell holding an end up at the Radcliffe Road end. Richard Oliver had an army of close fielders round him on 99 and much to his dismay he edged a ball from Patel into Read's gloves. He had faced 173 balls and had hit 13 fours and one six. Worcester 160 for three.

Worcestershire approach was much more round head compared to Notts more cavalier approach and they were happy to wait for the bad ball. Hilfenhaus bowled much better today and he bowled a short ball to Alex Gidman which hit him on side of the helmet. After a short delay play recommenced but in the next over Gidman was clearly very queasy fell to floor and had to retire hurt on 13, 204 for three.

The game then suddenly turned on this incident. Young teenage prodigy Joe Clarke was lucky to survive a confident shout from Hilfenhaus as the rapped his pads. Shortly afterwards Hilfenhaus hit Clarke on the pads once more and this time umpire Jerry Lloyds raised his finger. Clarke gone for a duck, 207 for 4.

Hutton then replaced the perspiring Hilfenhaus from the Pavilion End and was generating a good pace. Ben Cox elected to leave one and the ball jagged back in as the keeper was clean bowled for nine, 233 for five. Hutton had finally got a reward for a fine bowling performance.

Ed Barnard did not last long as he fell leg before to Hutton for 4, 239 for six. Meanwhile former Oakham Schoolboy Tom Fell had made untroubled progress to a patient 72 when he became Hutton’s next victim caught behind by the Captain. Hutton had now taken three wickets in successive overs, 240 for seven.
Shantry hit two fours and Notts decided to take the new ball. After five balls with the new cheery Shantry was leg before to Hilfenhaus who had by far his best day in a Notts shirt. Carter replaced Patel from the Radcliffe Road End and although clearly far from fit took the final wicket as Ajmal was leg before for seven. Leach was left unbeaten on a belligerent 24. Worcestershire 283 all out, a lead of 43. Hilfenhaus had figures of 25-7-67-4 and Hutton 24-7-85-3. Patel had stemmed the run flow from the Radcliffe Road with a marathon 27.1-6-73-1. Carter heroically playing the day bandaged up in stifling 27 degree heat finished with 7.2-0-45-1. Tea was taken between the innings.
Notts got off to a confident start until Lumb got hit in the wedding bells. After a 5 minute stoppage play resumed but then Lumb (12) played a poor shot to be caught at square leg by the diving Clarke low down to his right, 29 for one. Morris the most impressive bowler in the Pears side being the bowler. Hales took an age to get off the mark as Brendan Taylor perished for 32 leg before to Barnard, 44 for two. Hales (24) hit five boundaries but then played a quite dreadful shot as he plonked the ball straight in Morris’ hands at deep square leg off Leach, 69 for three.
More drama followed as James Taylor appeared to have tweaked his hamstring going for a quick single. After a long stoppage as the physio was called out, Hales came out as his runner. Notts closed on 115 for three with Wessels once again looking in fine fettle on 25 and Titch on 20. Frustrating on an easing wicket, Notts had given two wickets away when they could ill afford to do so.. Notts bowling efforts today were highly commendable in the heat wave conditions and a threadbare attack after the visitors look like they were heading for 400 plus before the unfortunate injury to Gidman senior..
With a bowling attack of three and a bit bowlers and another day of stifling heat tomorrow any lead of less than 300 would appear to be hard to defend.


At the close it was announced that Peter Moores who lives locally will join the club on a three month contract as a coaching consultant. “Show me the data!” MAG

Day 1

A Series of Unfortunate Events

A day of farce or something scripted by Lemony Snicket?

On another desperately disappointing day, Worcestershire closed on 89 for 2 only 151 runs behind Notts meagre first innings total.

With a green pitch Notts gambled on winning the toss, unfortunately Notts lost it and were predictably inserted. Notts made five changes from the team heavily beaten at Leeds. Two enforced as Broad was back with England and Ball injured. Luke Wood was rested and Gidman and Mullaney were dropped. Fletcher and AnDai Carter came in for their first championship games of the season for Notts. Hutton was recalled and also returning were Hales and Read.

It was struggle early doors with plenty of playing and missing with Lumb looking the more solid of the two batsmen. Brendan Taylor was badly dropped by Shantry in the gully when 25. The first wicket partnership had added 74 when Lumb (26) played a poor shot to be caught at mid wicket off Shantry. Hales got to 15 but then shouldered arms and was bowled by Leach bowling from Pavilion End, 98 for two.

In came the shuffling James Taylor he lasted 26 balls before inevitably departing leg before for 6, Leach picking up his second wicket, 108 for three.

Brendan Taylor had ridden his luck with a few streaky edges but he had determinedly hung in there. Unfortunately when on 69 he played a poor shot to Shantry as he caught off a skier to wide mid off where Barnard took the catch, his innings contained nine fours. Notts were losing their way after lunch and it got worse when Patel (10) edged the impressive Morris to slip, 159 for five. Read (5) lasted eight balls before becoming Morris’ second victim caught behind by Cox. Two balls later Hutton fell in identical fashion to depart for a blob. Next over Hilfenhaus was also out for a duck edging Barnard to slip. It was desperate stuff and it got even worse when Fletcher was run out as the impressive Wessels tried to run a three. Fletcher (5) was guilty of not only running in a non straight line but was also ball watching, 190 for nine.

Batting was not entirely easy on a wicket where 300 was the par score. Worcester though had bowled good lines and only Wessels looked comfortable. The unlikely alliance of Wessels and Carter added an unlikely 50 for the last wicket in seven overs of entertainment. Wessels though was eventually out trying one big shot too many caught at deep midwicket by Tom Fell off Ajmal. Wessels had scored 65 off 94 balls with seven fours and one six. Carter was left undefeated on a career best 24 not out. Notts 240 all out. Morris finished with three for 70. The visitors looked a well drilled outfit under the wily Steve Rhodes.
Notts wasted the new ball as Hilfenhaus in particular was guilty of not letting the batsman play enough. Fletcher went off after three overs with a hamstring injury. Hutton replaced him from the Pavilion End and was unlucky when Hales grassed a simple catch at second slip with Mitchell on 8. Carter bowled 11 expensive balls for 18 and then went off with yet another side strain and likely lengthy absence. Fletcher and Carter are unlikely to bowl again in the match and things got so desperate Wayne Noon had to come as 13th man.
In a season littered with poor decision making, the selection panel had only selected five bowlers of which two had fitness clouds over them. Notts are now left with three recognised bowlers in the 30 degree heat tomorrow. Wessels and Brendan Taylor will be practising their twirlers in the nets tomorrow morning. Mullaney is not an opener and should have been batting at six with Taylor completely and utterly out of form dropped. There was some late joy when Mitchell was leg before for 25 and then night watchman Charlie Morris was bowled middle stump off the last ball of the day, both wickets to Benny Hilf. Oliver was undefeated on 52 as Worcester closed on 89 for two. Brett Hutton bowled an excellent brisk spell from the Pavilion End and deserved some luck.

Mick Newell coped admirably and honestly with a barrage of questions from members at lunchtime. He justified the decision not to enforce the follow on at Taunton, and blamed his batsman for not getting a big enough lead. He was less comfortable whilst dealing with the poor form of Will Gidman and Greg Smith. He claimed it was increasingly difficult to recruit top notch overseas players to play 4-day cricket. Indeed with the regulations would not currently allow David Hussey to return due to lack of recent international appearances. He wanted Ben Hilfenhaus to be leader of the attack. The meeting was excellently handled by Lisa although I am less than convinced that new signing Dan adds numbers on the gate on a Friday evening, a Christian gathering I think not!

Mick claimed that England selection matters were not interfering with his day job and said he only missed two days of Notts cricket whilst double shifting. He claimed he caught up by watching video clips at home, the mind boggles at the thought of watching a 10 minute clip of Mark Footitt whilst getting ready for bed, but such is a life of an England selector!



Tomorrow could be painful viewing for Notts fans.... MAG