Gloucestershire CC2 at Trent Bridge

05 STAR MULLANEY ROLLS GLOUCESTERSHIRE OVER 

ROMPING NOTTS TO A RESOUNDING VICTORY

A career best bowling performance of five for 32 for Steven Mullaney ensured that Notts gained their fourth championship victory of the season by an innings and 50 runs at sunny Trent Bridge. The visitors disappointed throughout and did not put up much of a fight. Indeed, the collective Notts bowling performance was probably the worst in the five matches so far; Mr Extras scored 34 in Gloucestershire second innings. Mullaney getting the ball to move about, like Fletcher stuck to the virtues of line and length and was suitably rewarded. Credit to Steve Birks and his crew for producing a wicket with pace and bounce, such a contrast to the docile strip put out in the previous game in Cardiff. More of the same please.

Notts had much the better of the morning session as Gloucester scored 88 for five, although it took 64 minutes to take the first wicket of the morning. Gurney had to complete his over from last night and his opening ball was five wides. Fletcher had an unlucky spell from the Radcliffe Road End with Cameron Bancroft in particular playing and missing but he survived. Broad replaced Fletcher and got Bancroft on 46 to edge to Patel at third slip, but Samit dropped a difficult chance low to his left. Gurney had bowled a mediocre spell and was replaced by Mullaney. With the first ball of his third over Mullaney had Bancroft leg before for 53 (91 balls 9 x 4). Two balls later van Buuren (0) edged to Wessels at first slip, a second wicket for Mullaney, 98 for three. It got even better in the next over as Hankins got an inside edge to Broad and lost his leg stump to depart for an eight ball duck, 99 for four. In his next over Broad had Tavare plumb leg before for a 65-ball 20, 104 for five. Mullaney had a spell of 7-5-8-2. He was replaced by Gurney and with his first ball of his new spell had Jack Taylor leg before for nine, 117 for six. Gloucester limped to lunch on 125 for six with Mustard on 7 and Noema-Barnett on 6.

Mustard and Noema-Barnett accelerated after lunch aided by some poor bowling from Gurney, the 50 partnership taking 58 balls. Noema-Barnett (30 off 34 balls) then hooked Hutton with Broad taking a good catch at long leg, 170 for seven. Next ball, Craig Miles survived a very confident leg before shout from Brett Hutton. Mustard and Miles added 38 for the eighth wicket. Mustard then was edged a delivery from Mullaney on to pad the ball ricocheting to Wessels who took the catch at first slip. Mustard 49 off 78 balls with ten fours. A brilliant catch by Stuart Broad at mid off diving to his left saw Miles (16) depart as Mullaney picked up for fourth wicket of the innings. Chris Liddle was then dropped on 2 by Patel at slip off Fletcher. It was all over at 1502 as Mullaney went nap as Matt Taylor was leg before for six. Gloucestershire 231 all out. Liddle 12 not out. Broad two for 39. Gurney, Hutton and Fletcher all got a wicket a piece. Patel did not get a bowl during the entire match.

Notts now lead the table with four wins out of five. Broad we assume now misses the next fixture against Derbyshire and presumably Luke Wood will get an outing. It will be interesting to see how Notts will perform without their three leading bowlers Pattinson. Broad and Ball. Let's hope we get a better performance out of Harry Gurney who was sadly off colour in this fixture. MAG

FLETCHER KEEPS NOTTS IN CONTROL

Notts had another excellent day as Gloucester following on closed still 244 runs behind with nine second innings wickets still intact. Luke Fletcher was the star of the day picking up four wickets and bowling a consistent good line and getting enough lift to trouble all the visiting batsman. 

The West Countrymen will be less than pleased with their batting efforts a first innings score of 149 was clearly inadequate. The rest of the Notts bowling did not need to be in top form to remove them cheaply. Expect a much bigger second innings total.

After early morning rain play started on time with a beautiful blue sky. Read and Wessels went on the attack adding 55 in 13 overs. Read was dropped at backward point by van Buuren off Liddle when on 29. Wessels when on 37 put a ball from Matt Taylor in to orbit Noema-Barnett taking the catch at mid off, 412 for 6. The sixth wicket had added 70 runs. Notts stood at 417 for six after 110 overs. A ball from Matt Taylor reared up and Read (36) deflected the ball into Mustard's gloves, 419 for seven. Brett Hutton (9) was struggling with his timing, and was caught and bowled mistiming Craig Miles, 428 for eight. Shortly afterwards Notts declared when Broad was caught for five by van Buuren off Noema-Barnett. Notts 430 for nine declared. Fletcher one not out. Miles had figures of four for 123 and Matt Taylor three for 88. Notts had batted 90 minutes adding 73 runs to their overnight total.

After taking three off Broad's first over, Fletcher struck with his second delivery Cameron Bancroft (3) being strangled down the leg side, Read taking the catch. In the fifth over Tavare was plumb leg before to Broad for six, 12 for two. Lunch was then taken. During the interval the clouds rolled in and the wind got up. These conditions remained for the rest of the day as the crowd now had to find their pullovers and coats.

Straight after lunch, Chris Dent was caught behind off Fletcher for one, 18 for three. A peach of delivery from Fletcher; a well pitched up ball that came in and removed van Buuren's off stump. The small right hander gone for 15, 43 for four. Harry Gurney replaced Broad from the Pavilion End and with the first ball of his fourth over he had Hankins (15) edging and Read took his third catch of the innings, 59 for five. The light started to deteriorate and the floodlights came on but the players went off for the bad light at 1503 with Gloucester 88 for five off 24 overs with Mustard on 21 and Jack Taylor on 16.

An early tea was taken at 1510 and the players returned at 1530 with 49 overs remaining. Fletcher (Pavilion) and Hutton (Radcliffe) were now bowling in tandem. Hutton induced an edge from Jack Taylor (24) and Mullaney took the catch, 104 for six. The players though once again went off bad light at 1556 with Gloucester 110 for six with Mustard on 33 and Noema-Barnett on 2, 43 overs remained. Play resumed at 1615 and Mustard and Noema-Barnett added a further 26 when Mustard played a poor shot to Broad being caught by the diving Fletcher at mid on. The former Durham man had scored 53 off 80 balls with nine fours. Mustard had earlier been dropped at 17 by Wessels at first slip off Gurney, 136 for seven. Mullaney had come on from the Radcliffe Road End and with his twentieth ball Noema-Barnett shouldered arms to ball that came in, the New Zealander gone for 14, 144 for eight. The end was nigh, Miles (3) edged Mullaney into Read's gloves and then finally Broad removed former Leicester team mate Chris Liddle (4) as Pujara took a good catch at third man. Gloucestershire 149 all out trailed by 281 runs. Fletcher who ripped out the top order finished with three for 32 and Broad had figures of three for 40. Chris Read enforced the follow on.

Gloucestershire had 26 overs to bat. In the fourth over Dent still to get off the mark was dropped by Mullaney at second slip, Fletcher the unlucky bowler. Luckily the missed chance did not cost a lot. In his next over the Bulwell Bomber had Dent caught at fourth slip by Hutton for 2. The first wicket stand with Bancroft had added 20 runs. Bancroft was dropped by Read off Broad when on 20 (all boundaries), a very difficult chance diving to his left. Gurney replaced Broad but soon afterwards at 1813 bad light stopped play once more with the visitors 37 for one after 10.3 overs with Bancroft on 22 and Tavare on 0. Umpires Burns and Evans called play off at 1830, 15.3 overs were unused. The skies were very dark indeed. MAG

NOTTS  ASSUME CONTROL ON DAY 1

Centuries for Pujara and Lamb give hosts the advantage

In front of a large crowd, Notts had the better of the first exchanges against Gloucestershire closing on 357 for five on a day of glorious continuous sunshine. Cheteshwar Pujara on his first appearance for Notts at Trent Bridge and Michael Lumb with only his second championship ton in four seasons were the stars of the day. Gloucestershire paid the price for wayward bowling in the morning session and crucially dropping Lumb when he had only 12 to his name.

An unchanged Notts line up were inserted by Gloucester. The visitors were without their main two bowlers Norwell and Payne and gave Noema-Barnett his first championship appearance of the season. Mullaney and Libby got off a brisk start against left armer Matt Taylor and from the Pavilion End Craig Miles. Mullaney played an attacking innings helped by the rapid outfield. Noema-Barnett replaced Taylor but it was Miles that made the breakthrough in the 12th over. Mullaney gave it away being caught at midwicket by Jack Taylor to a nondescript shot having made a run a ball 35 (7 x 4), a very soft dismissal, Notts 53 for one. Miles though was too erratic with a tendency to bowl too much legside stuff that Libby and Pujara tucked into. Matt Taylor changed ends replacing Miles who had bowled eight overs for 49. Taylor bowled a brilliant yorker to Libby which came in like a boomerang, Libby was helpless and was out leg before for 32 (67 balls 4 x 4), 100 for two; the ball of the days. Another left armer Chris Liddle replaced Taylor and Patel hooked him for six over long leg. However the former Leicester and Sussex man got his revenge in the next over with Patel (15) edging him to Bancroft at first slip, 122 for three. The pitch had plenty of pace and carry and the ball was swinging in the humid atmosphere. Notts got to lunch on 132 for three after 31 overs with Pujara on 35 and Lumb on 6.

Notts had a superb middle session adding 106 runs without loss in 33 overs. Lumb under pressure for his place in the batting line up had a big let off when he was dropped on 12 by Tavare in the gulley off Miles, but he gradually found his form in the warm afternoon sunshine. Pujara looked a class act, completely untroubled, putting the bad ball away, just what Notts require. Lumb after an uncertain start gradually grew in confidence. Notts got to on 238 for three with Pujara on 85 and Lumb on 53 with power to add.

After tea Pujara got to what seemed a certain ton off 174 balls. Gloucestershire took the new ball one over late but with the last ball of its first over, and to everyone's surprise Pujara edged Miles into Mustard's gloves. He had made 112 off 206 balls with 14 fours; a fine innings. The fourth wicket had added 185 runs off 55 overs to put Notts in command. Lumb got his 100 in a four off Miles having taken him 181 balls. Eventually Lumb was out to a tired shot caught at point by van Buuren off Miles for 117 off 204 balls with 20 fours, 342 for five. Read (10 not out) and Wessels (12 not out) survived the last six overs as Notts closed on 357 for five. Having inserted Notts, 

Gloucester had had a poor day. In the morning session the ball was swinging and with the wicket having plenty of bounce they would have been disappointed with only picking up three wickets. As the ball got softer batting became easier and with a lightning outfield Notts cashed in. Miles returned to take two wickets with the new ball but the damage had already been done. If Notts can add a further 100 tomorrow they will be in a position of strength. However there is talk of potential torrential downpours from lunchtime tomorrow, let's hope they stay away. MAG

There same thirteen man squad has been named as for the Welsh excursion.

Brendan Taylor, 
Jake Libby, 
Cheteshwar Pujara, 
Steven Mullaney, 
Chris Read, 
Stuart Broad, 
Riki Wessels, 
Harry Gurney, 
Luke Wood, 
Luke Fletcher, 
Samit Patel, 
Brett Hutton 
Michael Lumb.

Will it be Taylor and Wood that miss out again?