v Hampshire Specsavers at Trent Bridge

NOTTS PLUNGE TO DEFEAT AGAIN

As expected Hampshire's patched up side were far too strong for Notts claiming victory by 176 runs with 24 overs unused. Despite a fourth wicket partnership covering 39 overs the result was never really in doubt. Notts long tailed gobbled up as the last seven wickets fell in 16 overs. The second innings heroes for Hampshire were right armer Brad Wheal with a career best six for 51 and leg spinner Mason Crane with three for 95. Two nineteen year old bowling their hearts out, something that would very unlikely under the present management structure at Trent Bridge. The days of Ken Taylor, Frank Woodhead and John Cope seem a distant memory. Hampshire though probably remain favourites in joining Notts through the trap door, although the change in management from Dale Benkenstein to Craig White is already working.

On another sunny morning Mullaney and Lumb lasted 65 minutes on a wicket with little menace. Lumb slashed at one from Wheal and the ball narrowly missed the edge. Next ball he did the same and the edge was found. Another poor dismissal Lumb c McManus b Wheal 17, 83 for three. Notts got to lunch without further alarm on 133 for three with Mullaney on 74 and Taylor on 11. There was still a very long way to go.

Hampshire did not look like getting a wicket in the first hour after lunch. Drinks were taken and Hampshire resorted to spin twins Crane and Dawson to tempt Notts back into the game. The run rate increased but bags of overs were still left, Hampshire were teasing Notts. With the new ball three overs away, Mullaney threw it away caught in the covers off Wheal for 137 off 227 balls with 19 fours and two sixes. A fantastic innings but all in the end futile. The fourth wicket had added 162 in 39 overs. From this point the wheels came off or should that be the Wheal stayed on?

Hampshire had done their homework Patel came in; no slips were placed, the ball was bowled down leg side and Patel duly obliged by ticking the ball straight into McManus' gloves, Samit gone for a golden duck, 245 for five. The end was nigh as in the last over before tea Taylor edged Crane to Adams at slip for 58 (126 balls with eight fours), 259 for six. Read unbeaten on 11 including two edged fours off Crane.

The tail did not wag. Wood lasted three balls before being caught at leg slip by McLaren off Crane for a duck. Ball lasted ten balls before departing leg before to Wheal for a single. Hampshire finally took the new ball 13 overs late. It took Wheal three balls to remove the proud captain who should take no blame for this defeat, Read shouldering arms and being bowled for 23. Gurney edged a four but departed to the last ball of the same over having his stumps demolished. Notts 291 all out off 94 overs. Tahir was left unbeaten on 15.

Notts now need to win three out the last four games. Given the current lack of form and confidence, logic would suggest that this is a very distant possibility. What needs to happen now is preparation for life in the bottom tier and likes of Root, Carter. Moores and Kitt given a chance. Did somebody mention Will Gidman? A new era is dawning....or it should be. Difficult decisions have to made. MAG

HAMPSHIRE ON COURSE FOR DESERVED MAMMOTH WIN 

Today's play followed a highly predictable path with the visitors piling up a huge total against unthreatening bowling and then Notts limply surrendering two wickets in the final hour. Notts need a nominal 426 further runs tomorrow, Hampshire need another eight wickets. A betting man would know where to put his money.

On a sunny morning Hampshire added 100 runs for the loss of a single wicket off 34 overs. Notts attack carried little threat as Read took an hour to bring on Jake Ball. Harry Gurney hit Tom Alsop on the foot which resulted in a five minute stoppage. Runs came at a slow but steady rate. It was a major surprise when at 1255 Adams played a poor shot when on 99 to Ball attempting to hit him through mid wicket he only succeeded in edging to Read. The second wicket had added 160 runs in 48 overs. Adams had hit 16 fours in the 185 ball innings. Dawson came in and was bowled off a no ball by Tahir, almost played on and then survived once more hitting a ball to mid wicket that bounced just in front of Libby. Hampshire got to lunch on 206 for one with Alsop on 74 and Dawson yet to score. Dan Christian was presented with the player of the month award during the interval.

Imran Tahir was bowling steadily from the Radcliffe Road End and 35 minutes after lunch removed Alsop leg before for 93 (178 balls with 11 fours), 246 for three. First innings centurion Adam Wheater lasted 11 balls before tamely playing the ball back to Tahir to depart for two, 252 for four. Notts took the new ball eight overs late but it just accelerated the scoring as McLaren and Dawson put bat to ball. The fifth wicket partnership was worth 80 in 16 overs when in the last over before tea Patel bowled Dawson with his arm ball. Dawson had scored 69 off 109 balls with seven fours. Hampshire 332 for five with Ryan McLaren on 34.

Patel was on a hat trick when he removed McManus first ball after tea when he was caught at first slip by Mullaney. McLaren and Berg added 35 in five overs against Patel and Tahir, until Berg was caught behind off Tahir for 17 an innings containing a quartet of fours. A further 26 were added in three overs and after McLaren (71 off 81 balls) hit his third six into The Fridge Hampshire declared at 1635 on 393 for seven with a lead of 467. Notts had bowled and fielded manfully but the damage suffered in first two days of the fixture was never going to be rectified. Tahir finished with three wickets and Patel two.

Notts had 22 overs to bat out in the session as Berg and McLaren opened the bowling. Carter replaced Berg from the Pavilion End and with his first ball Libby (9) played a dreadful shot to be caught at square leg by Alsop, 21 for one in the eleventh over. Wessels survived a confident leg before shout off the very next ball. Liam Dawson then replaced Ryan McLaren from the Radcliffe Road End. Hampshire were given a lift as Crane then came on for Liam Dawson and with his seventh ball (in the last over of day) Wessels edged him to into the slips and Will Smith at first slip took the catch via a fumble from second slip. Wessels (11) and Notts’ nightmare season appears to be never ending. Mullaney was left unbeaten on 18 with Notts 42 for two. Notts are staring relegation in the face. MAG


BRAINLESS BATTING HANDS HAMPSHIRE THE INITIATIVE 

Gamekeeper Carter turns Poacher and cashes-in with four pelts

It was family fun day at Trent Bridge but any enjoyment was limited to off the field activities as Notts had a truly horrendous second day in this “MUST WIN” fixture. On a featherbed pitch against a highly motivated but limited bowling attack they managed to lose five wickets for 47 runs. Unlike yesterday the ball did not appear to be swinging a great deal it was just sheer crass batting; a case of a succession of batsman throwing their wickets away without any due care of attention. Andy Carter now with his fifth county scarcely believing his good fortune picking up four for 52 off 14 overs, no wonder he was seen later seen grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Notts had a dreadful morning session losing five wickets for 77 runs off 29 overs, all this on a blameless pitch. Play got under way under cloudy skies and Carter's first ball to Mullaney went for four leg side byes. Off the fifth ball Jake Ball (14) pulled a short ball from Carter and it skied to Wheater at mid wicket, 44 for two. In Carter's next over, Riki Wessels (4) played a quite dreadful hook shot straight down square legs throat, you would struggle to see a more brainless shot all season, 48 for three. In the following over Mullaney (20) edged McLaren through the vacant third slip position but failed to cash in on his good fortune playing on in Carter's next over for 20, 57 for four. Brendan Taylor on five was given a life when the juggling Will Smith at first slip put him down off right arm seamer Brad Wheal. Taylor (6) fortunate to be still to be in line up was out shortly afterwards playing an awful shot chipping the ball low straight to square leg off Berg. The saddest part of the dismissal was sheer inevitably about it, Notts 84 for five. Patel (4) did not last long falling leg before to a swinging yorker from Wheal for four. Patel limping off to silence from the crowd, 95 for six. Unlike the others though he had not gifted his wicket away. Read and Lumb managed to bat the remaining 27 minutes before lunch as Notts got the interval on 116 for six off 40 overs with Lumb on 23 and Read on 18. A nightmare session.

Twenty five minutes after lunch Lumb got a bottom edge to a dreadful hoick off Carter and was caught behind for 39, 145 for seven, 54 runs having been added for the seventh wicket. Luke Wood showed guts and fight to get to 27 off 43 balls but showed uncertainty against the short ball. He took his eyes off a bouncer from McLaren and edged to Adams in the gulley, 48 runs for the eighth wicket. Tahir then came in and added a further 52 runs for the ninth wicket with Read strangely electing for the leg spinner to take a great proportion of the strike. Tahir did hit a loose ball from Crane into the Fox Road for six but then he was caught at backward square leg by Carter off Dawson for 245 for nine. Gurney was leg before for Dawson to his first ball Notts 245 all out, probably 200 runs under par against a weak bowling unit on a featherbed pitch. Read was left stranded on 70 not out off 100 balls with nine fours. Everybody though expected the captain to show the fight sadly missing from most of his batting colleagues. Hampshire led by 74 runs.

Hampshire made untroubled progress against Ball (Radcliffe) and Wood (Pavilion) the latter being hit on the left foot after stopping a drive in his follow through. Gurney replaced Ball and in his second over had Smith leg before for 20, 42 for one. Imran Tahir had a couple of confident leg before appeals against Tom Alsop turned down but Hampshire batting sensibly got to the close on 106 for one a lead of 180 with Adams on 68 and Alsop on 10. Expect Hampshire to declare at tea or just beyond tomorrow. Will Notts have the stomach to save the game on the easy paced wicket against a mediocre attack? MAG

LATE HAMPSHIRE COLLAPSE GIVES NOTTS HOPE

Despite an fairly average bowling performance Notts finished today's first day against fellow cellar dwellers Hampshire with a realistic hope of victory still remaining, being 280 behind with nine first innings wickets still standing. 

Luke Wood bowled well early doors consistently swinging the ball and finding the right length. The pitch though played well but there were too many easy pickings for the Hampshire batsman. Young Hampshire pair Adam Wheater and Lewis McManus batted very well, the southerners lost their way after McManus dismissal off Mullaney.

On a sunny and breezy day, Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat and gave a debut to Andy Carter. The former Notts man seemingly picked because of his pace. Hampshire have won their previous two games against Notts on the strength of pace bowling from Fidel Edwards and Tino Best which has shattered the Notts batting line up.

Luke Wood came in for Fletcher and Hampshire got off to a grizzly start as in his second over the young left armer on his seasonal championship debut got one to swing in as Adams lost his off stump for six, 13 for one. With the first ball of the fourth over Wood got another ball to swing in and Will Smith departed leg before for 12, 26 for two. The wicket was playing well and Dawson and Alsop made relatively untroubled progress against Gurney and Ball. The 50 partnership between Alsop and Dawson come up in 70 balls with Alsop contributing just seven. With the ball swinging Mullaney came on from the Radcliffe Road End. Samit Patel replaced Ball from the Pavilion End and with his third ball he removed Alsop who was leg before playing a sweep shot. The youngster had batted 57 balls for his 17, 91 for three. Dawson got to his 50 with an edged four off Mullaney. Read with another bit of inspired captaincy replaced Patel after a single over, Luke Wood returning and with his first ball had Dawson (54 – eight fours) caught at mid wicket by Michael Lumb, 98 for four. Tahir then bowled a single over that went for five as Hampshire went to lunch at 103 for four with Wheater on five and McLaren yet to score.

The lunchtime pair lasted an hour as Read rotated his attack. Finally Gurney bowling from the Radcliffe Road End had McLaren leg before for 16, the left hander went off reluctantly presumably thinking he got a bit of bat to it. The fifth wicket had added 59 in 17 overs. Notts never really looked like making another breakthrough as Wheater and McLaren added 69 runs in a further 20 overs. Hampshire having had a much better second session adding 123 runs for the loss of a solitary wicket.

The sixth wicket partnership got to 123 when Read standing up to Mullaney smartly caught McManus down the leg side. The young stumper had got to 56 off 118 balls with seven fours and one six. Hampshire with a long injury list being forced to give the youngsters a go.

Adam Wheater having batted so well finally gave it way when in the 80th over he played a poor shot to be caught in the covers by Jake Libby off Tahir for 102, 304 for seven. His innings had lasted 147 runs with 12 fours and one six. Despite not taking the new ball, Ball returned and after two leg before shouts against Crane and Berg had been turned down he removed Mason Crane's off stump as the 19 year old leg spinner departed for a three ball duck. Wheal then survived his first ball as leg before shout was turned down. He survived a further five balls before he departed leg before to Tahir for a blob. Carter drove his first ball for four. Off the first two balls of the next over Berg got two boundaries including one edged to the third man boundary. He then got a single and Carter playing like Andre Adams lasted a further three balls before being comprehensively bowled by Ball for four. Berg was left unbeaten on 28, 319 all out. Hampshire had managed to lose their last five wickets for just 39 runs, to lose their grip on the game. Luke Wood three for 53 and two wickets for Tahir and Ball.

Notts had 11 overs to survive. Libby departed to the last ball of the fifth over being adjudged leg before to McLaren for 11. The ball might have been going over the stumps, Notts 19 for one. Ball came in as a surprise night watchman and after edging his second ball played the perfect innings protecting Mullaney. Andy Carter came on from the Pavilion End but Ball saw off 29 balls including two overs from the former Notts man. Notts closed on 39 for one wit Ball on 14 and Mullaney on 10. They will be looking for a lead of 100 tomorrow on a pitch with few terrors. MAG