v Durham, Specsavers Championship Div 1 at Emirates Riverside, Chester le Street

RAIN CAUSES ABANDONMENT 

With 11 o'clock approaching this morning, dark clouds gathered and light deteriorated, causing the floodlights to be switched on. At about five minutes to the hour, light drizzle started to fall, this initiated the use of the covers. Heavier rain followed and so did the full compliment of plastic sheeting and tarpaulins.

Early lunch was taken but the rain never relented and at around 2 o'clock play was abandoned by the umpires. The match drawn, Nottinghamshire take 11 points.  

Past failings and an inability to finish Durham off yesterday have cost Notts dearly. The club propaganda will herald the end to the losing streak in the Championship, but this was another missed opportunity for the county rooted to the foot of the table. No strike bowler was selected for this starting eleven, that role having to be played by Harry Gurney or was it Luke Wood. In the absence of either Jake Ball or Stuart Broad, Ben Kitt would have been the obvious choice, but rather than take a chance on the untested talent of the Cornishman, it was decided to play it safe. Safe is, as it suggests, nonthreatening and Durham took advantage yesterday when things needed to be so different. Not wanting to let the batsmen off lightly either, another middle order /tail-end procession on Day 2, losing six wickets for 45 runs, ensured Notts didn't gain sufficient lead and build-up scoreboard pressure, making Day 3 so much easier for Durham.

As for closing the gap on our rivals, Lancashire also were washed out on the Day 4, taking 10 points. Hampshire are currently trying to hang on to a draw with Yorkshire, which would give them eight points. With games running out, Notts really needed to win at the Riverside, something they failed to execute.

TRIPE AND ONIONS




This match was evenly poised going into the third day unfortunately the wheels came for Notts as night watchman Onions batted for three hours and added 162 runs with the superb Keaton Jennings.

Durham stony broke and reliant on ECB handouts and unable to sign an overseas signing have shown great team spirit throughout the season and it was typified once again today. Although the pitch has flattened out considerably since the first day the less said about Notts efforts today the better. The team appears to be resigned to relegation. Notts closed on 17 for one, still requiring a distant 300 to win.

Facing a do or die morning session Notts struggled to make a breakthrough. Jennings edged one just short of Lumb in the gulley off Fletcher's opening over but this was as good as it got. Fletcher and Gurney were replaced by Tahir and Wood respectively. The bowlers were rotated but to no avail, Notts powder puff attack were literally now bowling for run outs. Durham batted the session without losing a wicket getting to the interval on 200 for three with Jennings on 90 and Onions on a career best 48 not out. Three words can describe the morning play from a Notts perspective; Tripe and Onions.

The afternoon session carried on in identical fashion. It got so desperate that Gurney started to bowl repeated bouncers at Onions, and on one occasion he was no balled for doing so by umpire Lloyd. With the fourth wicket stand worth 162 in 44 overs, Onions was finally dismissed leg before to Patel for 65 off 136 balls with seven fours. Collingwood came to the wicket and with the second ball with the brand new cherry Fletcher had him caught in the gulley for nine, 261 for five. Four overs later Fletcher bowling from the Lumley End had Richardson leg before also for nine, 273 for six. Jennings and Poynter added a further 38 runs before tea as Durham reached 311 for six with Jennings on 143 and Poynter on 16. Jennings having twice reverse swept Tahir for four in the same over.

In the first over after tea Poynter was bowled by Tahir for 22, the leg spinners celebration being over exuberant in the extreme. Seven overs later Coughlin (5) edged Mullaney to second slip, 334 for eight. It was another false dawn as the light got progressively worse as dark clouds appeared from the south west, the umpires should take great credit for keeping the players out there for so long. Notts resorted to a spin attack of a Patel and Tahir and even Libby had an over. At 1736 the umpires came off with 11 overs still to bowl, with Jennings on 171 (324 balls with 22 fours) and McCarthy on 28, the partnership worth 51 runs. Jennings was given a deserved ovation by the partisan home crowd.

The sun reappeared and just three overs were lost as Durham declared on 385 for 8. Fletcher bowled accurately but is sadly lacking in pace but the Notts bowling was unthreatening with Luke Wood having a particularly poor match with the ball.

Notts had eight overs to bat in bright sunshine but they could not see out to the close without losing a wicket. Four balls remained when Jake Libby was bowled by Onions for five. Mullaney not out on seven. With the current lack of mental strength in this Notts line up I would not expect them to bat for more than 50 overs. Heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow afternoon, Notts may well yet get away with a draw, stopping the losing sequence. Not even a rain dance will save Notts from relegation now from this shambles of a season.MAG

LIBBY STARS WITH MATCH WELL POISED

This match is well poised after another fascinating day as Durham stand at 83 for three in their second innings leading by 14 runs.

The highlight of the day being Jake Libby's career best 144, an innings of great maturity and concentration on a wicket where you never completely in, the odd ball miss behaving on the slow surface. Notts though lost their way following Patel's dismissal to an unplayable grubber from Jennings losing their last six wickets for 45 runs. Notts fought back well in the last hour removing Stoneman, Borthwick and Burnham leaving the game on a knife edge.

Play got under away in bright sunshine with the ball being replaced in the first over by the umpires. Lumb and Libby appeared untroubled but in the seventh over of the morning Lumb edged Onions straight to Borthwick at second slip. Notts 157 for 3, Lumb had made 82 off 107 balls with nine fours and the third wicket had added 141 runs in 33 overs. Brendan Taylor scorer of twin hundreds in the reverse fixture this season did not last long playing a dreadful airy fairy shot off McCarthy straight to Coughlin at cover. Taylor out for five, 186 for four. Next over Libby on 87 was dropped at fine leg by Richardson off Onions, a sitter. The man from Collingham could not resist a loud vocal comment about the incident. Jake Libby got to his ton with a legside single off Borthwick on the stroke of lunch off 191 balls with eight fours. An innings of great patience from a man who can clearly bat time unlike most of his colleagues. Notts got to lunch on 221 for four having added 92 runs for two wickets in the morning session . Libby had 101 and Patel was unbeaten on 21.

After lunch Libby and Patel started building a lead albeit slowly. Libby was dropped by Borthwick at first slip off McCarthy when on 115. As we all know Notts are always only one wicket away from a collapse. Jennings was introduced from the Lumley End and bowled Patel middle stump from an unplayable subterranean delivery. Patel had made 37 off 81 balls with just three fours, a most unlikely Samit innings, 268 for five in the 77th over. The light was fading and the lights came on. Durham took the new ball immediately and Read was bowled by Rushworth with its third ball for two. Next over another wicket fell as Wood was caught at cover off Onions to depart for five, 281 for seven. Fletcher (1) lasted 10 balls but then edged Rushworth to the safe hands of Collingwood at first slip, 286 for eight. Tahir and Libby added 27 until Tahir was caught low down at extra cover off Borthwick for 13. The leg spinner facing the great majority of balls in the mini partnership. Libby's magnificent innings came to an end as he was leg before to Rushworth for 144 off 276 balls with eleven fours, he had narrowly failed to carry his bat. Notts 313 all out a lead of 69. They had collapsed spectacularly losing their last six wickets for 45 runs, unfortunately no one of green and gold disposition was that surprised.

Wood and Fletcher opened the bowling and although bowling better than the equivalent time of the first innings they could not make the breakthrough. These two were replaced by Gurney and Mullaney. In the 23rd over, Mullaney got Mark Stomeman (39) to edge one and Taylor took a smart catch at slip, 67 for one. Next over, Borthwick padding up to Gurney bowling from the Finchale End to depart for a four ball duck, 68 for two. Tahir came on from the Finchale End and made a Jack Ass of Burnham (3) with his second ball, playing a cross batted shot to his googly the youngster was comprehensively bowled and he lay prostrate on the floor. Onions came in as night watchman and was on one and Jennings on 34. Durham 83 for theee off 32 overs as stumps were drawn at 1829. Let's hope that Libby's innings leads to victory. Proof that youth can prosper if given a chance...

MAG


NOTTS IN POSITION OF STRENGTH AT THE RIVERSIDE

For the first time in six weeks Notts finished the first day of a championship game on top, trialling Durham by 115 runs with eight first innings wickets still standing at The Riverside. The balance of the game changing in a dramatic post lunch session with Harry Gurney obtaining career best figures.

Durham won the toss and elected to bat on a straw coloured pitch which looked full of runs, but the appearance proved deceptive. Notts perhaps surprisingly left Lumb and Fletcher in the eleven as Gurney came in for Hutton. Wessels a run machine against Durham never made the twelve. Fletcher and Wood carried no threat with the new ball as Tahir was bowling from the Lumley End within 40 minutes, bowling two no balls in his first over. Jennings and Stoneman were making untroubled progress until Jennings was adjudged leg before to Gurney for 33, 77 for one in the 15th over. Tahir got a few to turn and then was replaced by Mullaney who bowled a couple of overs before lunch. Gurney was replaced by Fletcher from the Finchale End but Durham got safely to lunch on 115 for one off 30 overs with Stoneman on 49 and Borthwick on 20.

The game then took a completely unexpected twist. Harry Gurney returned at the Finchale End straight after lunch and with his second ball Borthwick (20) chased a wide one and Read took a good catch low down to his left, 115 for two. With the first ball of the next over Stoneman (49) was strangled down the leg side as Read caught the catch standing up, 115 for 3. First ball of the next over from Gurney saw Burnham caught behind for a five ball duck, 121 for four. The procession continued as three balls later Gurney picked up his fourth wicket as Richardson was leg before to a ball that kept low, Richardson out for a three ball duck. Four wickets had been lost for six runs in 14 balls. Remarkable! The action continued as Paul Collingwood had to retire hurt for seven having been hit in the wedding bells by Gurney. Paul Coughlin and Stuart Poynter added 35 before Tahir, who had replaced Mullaney, had Coughlin plumb leg before for 19, 157 for six. Poynter took Wood for 14 runs in one over so Read replaced him with Patel. The golden armed slow left armer once again took a wicket in his first over as he removed Poynter's off stump, the Irishman having made 42, 187 for seven. Collingwood returned to the crease with Jennings as a runner. An agricultural heave from McCarthy resulted him missing the ball and losing his middle peg in the next over from Samit, 196 for eight. Onions and Collingwood now batting without a runner added 36 for the ninth wicket until Onions was bowled by Gurney for 19. The left armer had career best figures of six for 61 off 16.4 overs as Rushworth was caught by Mullaney at second slip for a duck, 244 all out. Collingwood was left unbeaten on 33. Durham had lost nine wickets for 129 runs between lunch and tea and only picked up a solitary batting point. Patel finished with two wickets and Mullaney and Tahir a single wicket apiece. The leg spinner was not at his best despite getting the ball to turn. The quality of cricket in general in the session was not of a high standard and was probably a taster for next season's adventure. Gurney though however proved once more he is a wicket taking bowler, he just needs to improve his line to be a more consistent performer. Notts had cashed in on their good fortune as Durham's batting was poor.

Notts had 31 overs to bat. In the fourth over Onions got a delivery to rise and Mullaney (7) edged the ball with the bat near his throat, 13 for one, the ball virtually unplayable. A couple balls later a delivery from the same bowler kept very low. The wicket was showing signs of very uneven bounce. Tom Moores (1) lasted four balls before edging Rushworth to Borthwick at second slip, 16 for two. Notts fans feared the worst. Michael Lumb edged his first ball through the slips for two, he then edged another one just short of slip. He then survived a confident leg before shout before slowly rediscovering his confidence. Meanwhile Libby positive from the off was building an excellent innings. The new ball was seen off and batting became easier, the 100 partnership was reached in 24 overs as Notts took advantage of the attacking fields set and the vast outfield. Notts got to the close on 129 for two with Lumb on 68 (83 balls with eight fours) and Libby on 51 (88 balls with three fours). The third wicket has added 113 runs so far. It was the most positive partnership for weeks and let's hope Notts can build on this tomorrow as they desperately seek their first championship win in five months.MAG
BLIND FAITH


With the imagination of dried out, two week odd, used tea bag, Mick Newell has selected the following squad for the must win clash at the Riverside.

In comes Harry Gurney and remaining out is Riki Wessels, who generally excels at the Riverside, to the same eleven that crashed so badly at the Scarborough.

Luke Fletcher, Harry Gurney, Brett Hutton, Jake Libby, Michael Lumb, Tom Moores, Steven Mullaney, Samit Patel, Chris Read, Imran Tahir, Brendan Taylor, Luke Wood. 

The bloke must have unbreakable faith in the likes of Michael Lumb and Brendan Taylor, that they will deliver the goods this time. Deliver the goods something that they MUST do in this game.