Hampshire Specsavers CC1 at Trent Bridge Win

Day 4

NOTTS WIN 

Hashim Amla heroic in defiance but hosts gradually burn all other resistance away

Notts as expected beat Hampshire today by 203 runs to remain top of the table with three wins out of four. In the hot sun it was hard work chiselling out the remaining seven wickets. Hashim Amla proved very difficult to remove on an easing wicket with some variable bounce. Amla was eventually last man out at 1637 for 112. Broad bowled an outstanding spell in the morning, Gurney and Ball filleted the lower order as each finished with three wickets.

It took four balls for Notts to take a wicket this morning. Ball beating Chris Wood (13) for pace, the right hander losing his off stump, 112 for four. In the fifth over of the morning Amla was dropped at second slip by Mullaney off Ball when he had 13. It was an expensive miss as he then as expected set out his stall to bat all day. There was a long stoppage as Tom Moores dislocated a finger taking a ball from Broad. Broad was bowling superbly; in total he beat Rossouw outside off stump five times in seven balls. Rossouw was then dropped by Moores off Patel when seven, the keeper diving to his right but not quite holding on. In the seventh over of his spell Broad finally got his man as Rossouw edged to Wessels at first slip, 151 for five. Rossouw gone for seven. There was another stoppage as Dawson was hit on the hand by Gurney and he retired hurt on 6 at 161for five. Chris Nash replaced Patel from the Radcliffe Road End. In the last over before lunch Amla got to his 50 off 104 balls. Hampshire 174 for five off 73 overs with Amla on 50 and McManus on 2. Hampshire scored 63 runs for 2 wickets off 29 overs in a session disrupted by stoppages. They clearly had only one ambition – to save the game.

Fletcher (Radcliffe Road End) and Patel (Pavilion End) came on after lunch. With the score on 185 for five after 80 overs the new ball was taken by Luke Fletcher (Radcliffe Road End) and Stuart Broad (Pavilion End). Lewis McManus showing no after effects from yesterday's hand injury batted 58 balls for his two but fell to catch by Moores as Broad with his second over with the new ball picked up his third wicket, 191 for six. Gurney and Ball replaced Broad and Fletcher but Amla and Abbott looked relatively comfortable. Ball was having trouble with his line with the ball constantly drifting down the leg side. Patel came on from the Pavilion End with the new ball 15 overs old. Ball finally found his line as Abbott (10) edged him into Wessels hands at first slip, 236 for 7. Dawson then resumed his innings although was clearly in pain at times. On the stroke of tea Dawson was leg before to Gurney for 8.Hampshire 241 for 8 at the interval Amla 90 not out.

Amla got to his inevitable ton off 179 balls with a four off Jake Ball through mid off. Amla was farming the strike but finally Notts had a full over at Wheal. Off the sixth of the over Wheal (2) edged Gurney into the safe hands of Ross Taylor, 257 for nine. A terrific ball from Gurney saw Edwards on 0 edge wide to Moores right but the chance was spilled. Amla hit two defiant fours off Ball. But Jake got his man when going for a pull Amla top edged it as Taylor took the catch in the covers. Hampshire 265 all out. Amla 112 off 203 balls with 15 fours, but he had stood alone on the burning deck. Notts bowling was outstanding throughout and fully deserved this 22 point victory. MAG
Day 3

NOTTS SET HAMPSHIRE A CHALLENGING TARGET

AFTER HOSTS STAY IN CONTROL

Another good day for Notts, Hampshire need a further unlikely 358 with seven second innings wickets standing to win this entertaining match played throughout in glorious sunshine.. With Hampshire chasing 469 to win on an easing wicket, Notts took three wickets in 44 overs whilst restricting Hampshire to 111 for three. With the four pronged seam attack plus Samit Patel they will be disappointed if they do not complete their victory mission tomorrow. There remains some doubt to whether McManus who injured his finger whilst keeping today will bat. Notts will be hoping to dismiss danger man Amla early tomorrow. There have out batted and out bowled Hampshire in the first three days of this fixture.

Early in the morning the 150 partnership between Mullaney and Libby came off 249 balls. Jake Libby then fell to a brilliant diving catch to his right at slip by Adams off Edwards. Libby gone for 54 (115 balls, 6 x 4), 155 for one. Edwards had kept run scoring at a premium. Kyle Abbott replaced him at the Pavilion End and Mullaney smashed him through the covers for 4 to reach his ton on 169 balls. Nash disappointed once more edging Wheal to McManus, 180 for two. The former Sussex man had scored 15 off 25 balls with two fours. Liam Dawson came on from the Radcliffe Road and his third ball was hit for six over midwicket by Mullaney. The Captain repeated the dose in the next over. Weatherley came on with his part time off breaks and with his second ball, Mullaney dabbed him straight to short mid wicket. A soft dismissal to end a brilliant innings. Mullaney 130 off 189 balls with 12 fours and four sixes, 222 for three. Chris Wood replaced Dawson and was hit for a huge leg side six by Taylor. Next over Patel hit Weatherly for six over extra cover into The Fridge to bring up the 250. The next ball went in the same place for 4. The 50 partnership between Taylor and Patel was achieved in the last over before lunch in 42 balls. Taylor was hitting the ball ferociously and Wood was hit for towering six over mid wicket by the Kiwi. At lunch, Notts 280 for three. Taylor 49 and Patel 22. After pedestrian first hour Notts had scored 144 runs for the loss of three wickets in the session.

Straight after lunch Taylor reached his 50 off 46 balls. The Notts 300 came up as a result of two hard driven fours by Taylor off Wheal. At 312 for three, there was a long stoppage as McManus injured his finger and was replaced behind the stumps by James Vince. Samit Patel swept Dawson to deep backward square leg as Wheal took an easy catch. Patel gone for 36 off 49 balls (4 x 4, 1 x 6). The fourth wicket had added 96 in 14.4 overs. Ross Taylor going for another leg side hit played on to Wheal for 83 (69 balls, 9 x 4, 2 x 6). A fine innings 333 for 5. Moores hit Dawson for three sixes over mid wicket into The Fridge. Moores reached 34 off 22 balls with three fours and three sixes before skying Edwards into Vince's gloves, 371 for six. Hampshire immediately took the new ball. Broad holed out to the cover boundary off Wood for a single, 377 for seven. Wessels was caught at long leg off Chris Wood for 14, 379 for eight. Fletcher was bowled by Edwards for nine. Notts then declared on 389 for nine off 85.3 overs at 1505. Ball one not out. Edwards 3 for 60 was the pick of the bowlers.

Hampshire needed 469 to win. Broad beat Weatherley three times outside off stump but the right hander never got an edge. After 10 overs of Ball (Radcliffe Road End) and Broad (Pavilion End), Patel came on. Hampshire 16 for 0 after 12 overs at tea, with Weatherley on 11 and Adams on 5.

After tea, Hampshire got to 50 in the 21st over. Adams was dropped on 13 at short leg by Libby off the returning Patel from the Radcliffe Road End. Weatherley got to his 50 with a pulled four off Gurney. Weatherley’s 125 ball innings was ended as he drove Patel into the safe hands of Luke Fletcher at midwicket, Hampshire 82 for one in the 30th over. Weatherley made 56 with seven fours. Next over Adams was dropped by Mullaney at second slip but next ball Duracell bunny Gurney in the 12th over of what became a 13 over spell got Adams(17) to edge again, Mullaney this time taking the catch, 82 for two. The skipper donning a white floppy sun hat to counteract the boiling conditions. Ball and Broad returned for the final 6 overs. Vince edged Broad and then Amla edged Ball, two streaky boundaries. Broad though got his man Vince (5) leg before without offering a shot, 93 for three. Night watchman Wood 13 not out and key man Amla saw Hampshire to stumps at 1832 with Hampshire 111 for three. MAG

Day 2
NOTTS TAKE CONTROL OF GAME


A superb day for Notts as they closed on 136 for 0 a lead of 215; a position of dominance. A very good team bowling performance led to Hampshire being dismissed for 223. The key dismissal being that of Amla, whom in trying to hit Patel over the top was caught at extra cover. Then having to bat 36 overs in the warm post tea sunshine openers Mullaney and Libby shared a very welcome unbroken partnership to set up the ideal platform for a victory.

In bright sunshine the opening attack for the morning was Ball (Radcliffe Road) and Broad (Pavilion End). The 50 partnership between Amla and Rossouw came up in 95 balls. In the eighth over of the morning, Rossouw (26) edged Broad into the safe hands of Taylor at third slip, 88 for four. Fletcher and Gurney replaced Ball and Broad. Hampshire were making slow progress the 100 coming up in the 44th over. Next over Amla got to his 50 off 93 balls. In the 42nd over, Liam Dawson (10) hit Gurney low to Libby at square leg who pulled off a good catch, 106 for five. Amla's 69 occupied 122 balls with 11 fours, but he perished in Patel's first over of the day. Going for a lofted drive he hit the ball straight to Wessels at extra cover, 140 for six. A potential match turning moment. A further 14 runs were added before lunch as Hampshire got to the interval on 154 for six. Hampshire had added 84 runs in the morning session had put a very tight rein on run scoring with Broad bowling particularly well.

After lunch Hampshire put the foot on the accelerator, with McManus hitting consecutive fours through the vacant third man region off Ball. Next over Abbott was caught by diving Mullaney at short mid wicket for 13 as Patel picked up his second wicket, 188 for seven. Chris Wood (5) was comprehensively bowled by Patel losing his middle stump, 198 for eight. Lewis McManus got to his 50 with a three off Patel it took him 110 balls. Patel had figures of 3 for 25 off 17 overs. The new ball was taken after 81 overs by Ball (Pavilion End) and Fletcher (Radcliffe Road End). In the third over with new cherry Wheal (3) edged Ball to slip where Mullaney took a regulation catch. Next ball McManus was dropped on 55 by Nash running back to the mid wicket ropes, Fletcher the unlucky bowler. McManus hooked Ball for six over long leg. McManus was last man out for 66 (138 balls, 7 x 1, 1 x 6), caught on the square leg ropes by Mullaney as the frugal Fletcher took his second wicket. Hampshire 223 all out had a first innings deficit of 79. Notts had bowled well as a unit and much better than Hampshire. Broad 3 for 45 bowling with menace throughout. Tea was taken between the innings.

Notts had 36 overs to bat in what appeared to be a match defining session. After an eight overs burst from Abbott and Edwards where Notts had scored 42 with Mullaney going on the attack. Liam Dawson came on for the ninth over and his first ball was hit for six by Mullaney over extra cover. The 50 partnership between Mullaney and Libby came in 55 balls via a leg side four by Libby. Mullaney reached his 50 off 69 balls via a six over extra cover off Liam Dawson. Hampshire's bowling carried little threat as the 100 partnership came up in 137 balls via four through the covers by Mullaney. Stumps were drawn at 1800 with Notts on 136 for 0 with Mullaney on 82 (119 balls – 10 x 4, 2 x 6) and Libby on 50 (97 balls – 6 x 4), both seasonal bests and just what the doctor ordered after a difficult start to 2018. Fidel Edwards generated pace once more but Dawson in particular took some hammer his 12 overs costing 58. Notts will look into batting until 1515 tomorrow and setting the visitors a target of 450 plus.MAG

Day 1

JUST ABOUT EVEN AT THE BRIDGE

Honours were even at the end of an entertaining day at Trent Bridge. Having been bowled out for 302, Notts reduced Hampshire to 23 for three but experienced pair Amla and Rossouw added an unbroken 47 for the fourth wicket as Hampshire closed on 70 for three. On a good wicket with a fast outfield, Notts will be disappointed they did not make more. Too many batsmen gave their wickets away. The visitors could have bowled better with Kyle Abbott particularly disappointing. Fidel Edwards as ever took a liking to Notts and took four wickets. Notts will be hoping their stronger bowling attack will make early incisions tomorrow. Notts bowled well in the 26 overs they had at Hampshire post tea with Broad bowling with greater pace than last season and being well supported by Ball, Fletcher and Gurney. The best batting of the day was seen when Ross Taylor and Samit Patel added 95 for the fourth wicket. Unfortunately the partnership was ended via a terrible mix up which saw Taylor depart run out for 47. Patel lost his way after lunch before chipping a delivery from Edwards straight to deep square leg to depart for an innings high of 73. Wessels kept up his good form of 2018 by reaching 54.

Both teams clearly wanted to bat, so a toss was made. An unchanged Notts won it and batted in front of a large crowd of  2,157 and in bright sunshine. Mullaney (11) made a positive start but a poor shot saw his demise hitting a slower ball from Abbott to Wheal at midwicket, 11 for one. Another loose shot saw the end of Nash (11) slashing Edwards to Weatherley at slip, 26 for two. Libby lasted 19 balls without scoring but departed plumb leg before to Edwards, 27 for three. In his seventh over, Edwards was hit for three consecutive fours by Ross Taylor. Taylor then got a single and then Patel hit two fours. The over cost 21. The fifty partnership between Taylor and Patel had come up in just 37 balls. Taylor then hit Chris Wood bowling from the Pavilion End for two fours. Seven fours had been hit off eight balls. An offside four for Taylor off Abbott brought the Notts 100 in the 19th over. Slow left armer Liam Dawson came on for the 22nd over replacing Brad Wheal at the Pavilion End. Taylor and Patel was batting excellently but the Kiwi became the third Notts batsman to throw his wicket away when he went for impossible single as Patel hit a ball to mid wicket off Dawson; Taylor gone for 47 off 53 balls with eight fours. The fourth wicket had added 95 in 17 overs, 122 for four. A four through square leg off Dawson saw Patel to his 50 off 51 balls with nine fours. Notts got to lunch on 137 for four with Patel on 53 and Wessels on 7, 28 overs had been bowled. A highly entertaining session on a good wicket with short boundaries on the Bridgford Road side of the square.

After lunch Patel was dropped on 60 at first slip by Amla off Wood, an easy chance. A straight four by Patel off Wood brought up the 50 partnership with Wessels in 77 balls. Edwards returned from the Pavilion End and bowled a short one and not for the first time Patel paddled it straight down deep square leg’s throat. Patel gone for 73 off 92 balls with 12 fours, 176 for five. The 200 came up in the 44th over via a four guided through the slip by Moores off Chris Wood. Moores though led a charmed life and got to 29 before edging Wood to Weatherley at third slip, 211 for six. Moores had hit six boundaries off 32 balls. Wessels who had dropped anchor hit a short ball from Wood for six over long leg bringing up the second bathing point in the 54th over. A four through the covers by Broad off Wood brought up with 50 partnership in 58 balls for the seventh wicket. A straight four followed by Broad but then he gave it away as he was caught skying to mid wicket where Vince took the catch, the first wicket for Wheal. Broad had made 33 off 40 balls with 6 fours; 54 runs had been added in 10 overs for seventh wicket . An offside single off Edwards saw Wessels to a determined 50 off 86 balls. A fast short ball from Edwards was too fierce for Fletcher (5) who gloved to keeper McManus, 271 for eight. Wessels became the next Notts batsman to give it away caught on the deep square leg ropes by Dawson off Wheal for 54 off 89 balls (8 x 4, 1 x 6), 275 for nine. Gurney conjured up an off drive for four off Wheal. He then followed it up with a two through mid wicket. Dawson came on for Wheal at the Pavilion End and was hit over his head for four by Gurney. Consecutive fours by Ball off Abbott saw Notts to the third batting point. The tenth wicket had added 27 when Ball was bowled by Dawson for 11. Gurney 16 not. Notts 302 all out. Hampshire's bowling was a bit of mixed bag as a rapid Edwards took 4 for 84. Former Springbok Kyle Abbott was disappointing with 1 for 73.

Hampshire had 26 overs to face. Ball (Radcliffe Road) and Broad (Pavilion End) opened and with 11th ball of the innings Adams edged a fast ball from Broad into Moores gloves, 0 for one. Broad was bowling excellently and in the 10th Weatherley (12) edged him to Taylor at third slip who juggled it and caught the ball at the third attempt, 17 for two. Fletcher replaced Ball took three balls to pick a wicket as James Vince was hit low on the pad and was plumb leg before for five, 23 for three. Broad bowled a seven over spell and made way for Gurney. Left hander Rossouw was dropped at second slip on 11 off Gurney by Mullaney at very sharp chance above his head. Patel was introduced for the last over as Hampshire closed at 1848 on 70 for three with Amla on 27 and Rossouw on 24. MAG
Steven Mullaney (c), 
Jake Libby, 
Chris Nash,
Ross Taylor, 
Samit Patel,
Riki Wessels,
Tom Moores (wkt), 
Stuart Broad, 
Luke Fletcher,
Jake Ball,
Harry Gurney, 
Matt Milnes, 
Billy Root.