Kent Specsavers CC1 at Trent Bridge Loss

Day 3

NOTTS SHOULDER ARMS AND SURRENDER TO ANOTHER THRASHING

Another championship game, another thrashing. Kent achieved a very easy championship victory in the Trent Bridge sunshine today winning by 227 runs. Darren Stevens followed up his first innings figures of 5 for 39 with 5 for 53 to finish with match figures of 10 for 92, narrowly failing to achieve the match double having scored 88 and 0. Well played to him, but once again there was a distinct lack of application from the Notts batsman who could only last 51.2 overs, despite a 7th wicket stand of 75 between Ashwin and Coughlin that occupied 21.4 overs. Notts lost their last four wickets in 32 balls as the match was completed before tea. The crowd at Trent Bridge was very small despite the idyllic weather with many members voting with the feet.

Kent very surprisingly decided to carry on and batted for a further 20 minutes. Patterson-White failed to take the field in the morning and Coughlin completed his over. In the third over of the day Podmore was bowled by Ashwin for 16, 252 for nine. Cox returned to the crease and fell leg before to Ashwin for 20.Kent 259 all out, Ashwin 5 for 89 and Fletcher 3 for 40. Notts needed 440 runs to win.

The Titanic’s deckchairs were rearranged. Steven Mullaney promoted himself to open along with Duckett. The experiment failed miserably for the captain who lost his middle stump after shouldering arms to Stevens (Radcliffe Road) for 10. Two balls later, Nash also decided not to use his bat, shouldering arms although this time the ball hit the pad rather than the stumps, 27 for two in the sixth over. Duckett was bowled by Podmore for 20, 33 for three in the ninth over. The ball had deflected off Duckett’s arm onto the stumps. Stevens picked up his third wicket when Slater was leg before for 19, 64 for four. Stevens 500 wicket for Kent. Slater perhaps a tad unlucky with the verdict. Milnes replaced Stevens and on the stroke of lunch a well pitched up ball from Milnes swung in and bowled Libby for 17, 91 for 5 in the 22nd over. Libby’s contract is due to run out at the end of the season. Lunch was immediately taken.

Moores lasted ten minutes until a dreadful shot saw him slash to Milnes at point off Podmore for nine, 108 for six. The ever professional Ashwin was joined at the crease by Coughlin and a semblance of resistance was found, the 50 partnership came up in 78 balls. Ashwin got to 50 off 77 balls with a leg side four off Stevens. Coughlin on 39 (7x4) edged a Stevens out swinger to Robinson behind the stumps. the seventh wicket had added 75 runs. Next over Ashwin spooned Rayner to Kuhn at short mid wicket to depart for 55 (9x4), 183 for eight, Fletcher got to 10 before being caught at mid wicket by Kuhn off Rayner, 195 for nine. Ball hit a six and a four in his 14, but was last wicket to fall edging Stevens behind as Notts were all out for 212. Patterson-White 5 not out. Notts red ball cricket remains in an appalling state. 

Rumour suggests that Status Quo was top of the charts in the committee room last week as the Black Smoke rose it was very much Down Down Deeper than Down! MAG

Day 2

DISPENSABLE VETERAN STEVENS HURRIES NOTTS TO ANOTHER HUGE DEFICIT

This was another horrendous day for Notts as they closed with a deficit of 416 having been in-explicitly bowled out for 124  mid afternoon. Darren Stevens the 43 year old veteran no longer wanted by his county followed up his 88 with a 5 wicket bag. All he had to do was bowl line and length and wobble it a bit, something which appeared beyond the Notts seamers, the admirable Fletcher apart. When Kent replied they passed Notts’ feeble first innings total in the 25th over as they sped to a 400 plus lead at 4.6 RPO. Top scorer for Kent was Sam Billings who in a rare championship outing scored 100 in 106 balls (17x4) and an excellent 82 from Zak Crawley as they gorged themselves on the relative easy pickings that we were served up.

In the fifth over of the morning, Slater (20) who never looked settled edged Podmore (Pavilion End) into Robinson's gloves, 41 for three. In the 23rd over Duckett (8) was caught and bowled by Podmore, the ball sticking in the pitch and Duckett gave the bowler a simple chance low down, 53 for 4. 

Acts of charity?

Podmore should have picked up his third wicket as Mullaney on 1 was dropped at third slip by Zak Crawley, a sitter. Notts were riding their luck as Fletcher on 13 was dropped after his head by Kuhn at first slip off Milnes. Fletcher (17) though departed soon after edging Milnes to Crawley at third slip, 77 for five. Patterson-White was dropped by Jordan Cox at short leg off Rayner when on eight. Kent reverted to all spin attack as O'Riordan came on with his off spin. Notts 103 for five off 43 overs at lunch with Mullaney 22 and Patterson-White on 11.

Never long to wait for a Notts collapse!

The timetabled collapse appeared on schedule with the last five wickets going for 20 runs in 10 overs after lunch. Stevens returned straight after the interval and with the second ball had Mullaney leg before for 22, 104 for six. The question was widely asked was why the captain although top scoring had not picked up a bat for nearly a month, when recent second eleven games at Lady Bay would have provided him a chance of gaining valuable match practice. Patterson-White became Stevens third victim caught at slip by Rayner for 11, 111 for seven. Ashwin was next to fall plumb leg before to Podmore for seven, 111 for eight. Moores then fell leg before to Stevens for one, 117 for nine. Coughlin (8) was the last wicket to fall skying to Podmore at mid on as Stevens went nap, Notts 124 all out. Ball 4 not out. Another zero batting point haul for Notts. Stevens 5 for 39. Luke Fletcher faced 74 balls, more than any of his other 10 team mates, which probably summed up how bad the batting had been, lacking technique and application. Kent seam bowling was much sharper and more accurate than their Notts counterparts. Mr Donald’s attention to detail was clear for all to see.

Bell-Drummond fell to a slip by Coughlin at third slip off Fletcher for nine, 25 for one. Coughlin replaced Ball from the Pavilion End and Jordan Cox was hit and on the arm by the North Easterner and had retire on 13 with the Kent score 42 for one. Fletcher bowled a typically wholehearted 8 over spell and was replaced by Ashwin. Patterson-White bowled the last over before tea. Kent 95 for one after 20 overs with Crawley on 38 and Billings on 31. 

The game was only going one way in spite of Fletcher's bet efforts!

Crawley and Billings milked the Notts attack after tea bringing the 100 stand in just 98 balls. Fletcher returned from the Pavilion End and with his first ball got Crawley to play onto his leg stump to depart for 82 off 102 balls (19x4, 2x6), 165 for 2 in the 34th over. Fletcher struck again as Kuhn (5) tickled him behind as Moores took the catch, 175 for three. Fletcher clearly Notts man of the season, his effort appreciated by the long suffering members. Robinson (8) was plumb leg before to Ashwin bowling from the Radcliffe Road End, 186 for four. Stevens fell in identical fashion in the same over, falling for a two ball duck, 186 for five. O'Riordan (9) was bowled behind his legs attempting a sweep shot off Patterson-White (Pavilion End), 227 for six. Rayner fell in the next over bowled by Ashwin for a 3 ball duck, 228 for seven. A straight four by Billings saw him to his ton in 105 balls but he perished next ball to a smart catch to his left by Patterson-White for 100. Stumps was immediately drawn at 1810 with Kent 236 for eight. Expect Kent to declare overnight and Notts to slump to another heavy defeat; that infamous Northants team of the 1930s seems to been have reincarnated 80 years on! MAG

Day 1

VETERAN STEVENS THWARTS NOTTS' PROGRESS

as day one ends at "advantage Kent"

Kent finished the first day in a strong position after recovering from 119 for five to post an above par 304 and followed it up by removing Libby and Nash as Notts closed on 35 for two, 269 runs behind. 

 Forty three year old Darren Stevens was the star from the Hop County with 88 off 90 balls (10x4,1x6), being well supported by Heino Kuhn with 55 and Daniel Bell-Drummond with 45. Stevens opening the bowling dismissed Libby with his sixth ball, Notts lost two wickets in 12 overs in the early evening sunshine. The returning Ashwin bowled well early on claiming 4 wickets in his first 17 overs but was less effective later as Stevens milked him with six players on the boundary. Notts bowling was mixed with Patterson-White although claiming two wickets going for five an over and Ball and Fletcher picking up a solitary wicket in 28 overs of bowling. Pleasingly Coughlin did pick up three tail end wickets with a Notts best 3 for 37. On a wicket taking some turn, Kent will be well pleased with their eventual total. Notts once more face an uphill battle.

Kent won the toss and elected to bat. Clarke was dropped as Mullaney came back in after his 8 week injury absence. Ashwin replaced Luke Wood. Fletcher (Radcliffe Road End) and Ball (Pavilion End) opened the bowling. In the fifth over of the day Fletcher had Crawley leg before for three, 18 for one. With the score on 39 for one after 12 overs including 15 extras, Ashwin came on for Fletcher to start a 21 over spell from the Radcliffe Road End. Coughlin replaced Ball in the 16th over. After a six over spell Coughlin was replaced by Patterson-White. Jordan Cox added 54 for the second wicket with Daniel Bell-Drummond until the youngster was leg before to one that turned towards the batsman to the economical Ashwin for 22. In his next over Ashwin got another to turn and it found the edge of Billings bat, Mullaney taking the catch at slip, Billings out for 4. Lunch was immediately taken with Kent 78 for three off 32.3 overs with Bell-Drummond on 34.

Fletcher came back after lunch from the Pavilion End. Twenty minutes after lunch Ashwin had Bell-Drummond stumped by Moores for 45 (7x4), 105 for four. Robinson was all at sea against Ashwin and it was no surprise when Ashwin bowled him with his arm ball for 6,119 for five. Stevens and Kuhn went on the attack with the 50 runs partnership being achieved in 47 balls. Ashwin had bowled a marathon 21 overs spell, taking 4 for 67. But having conceded 32 off his previous four overs was given a rest and was replaced from the Radcliffe Road End by Patterson-White. Kuhn got to his 50 off 67 balls with a single off Ball. The Kolpak man using the reverse sweep effectively against the spinners. Kuhn (56) drove Patterson-White low to Coughlin at mid off who safely held the chance, the sixth wicket stand was worth 69 runs in 14 overs. Ashwin after a seven over rest switched ends to the Pavilion End. Kent got to the break on 211 for six after 65 overs with Stevens on 43 and O'Riordan 9. (The latter a 21 year old off spinning all rounder from Tonbridge School making his first-class debut.)

The veteran Stevens got to his 50 twenty minutes after tea with a two off Fletcher (Pavilion End). Marcus O'Riordan (12) slashed Patterson-White to Mullaney at slip, 235 for seven; the slow left armer picking up a wicket in the first over of a new spell from the Pavilion End. Rayner raced to 26 (19 balls) before edging Coughlin to Moores, the seamer's first wicket at Trent Bridge for Notts, 279 for eight. Coughlin struck again four overs later as Podmore (11) edged him to Duckett at first slip, 299 for nine. Stevens (88) was the last man to fall caught on the cover ropes by Ball off Coughlin, Kent 304 all out off 81.4 overs. Ashwin 4 for 121, Coughlin 3 for 37. 

Advantage Kent!

Libby departed in the second over of the reply, leg before to that man Stevens (Radcliffe Road End) for a single, 5 for one. Podmore bowled a four over spell and his replacement Milnes removed Nash's off stump with his first ball of his Trent Bridge return, 26 for two. Nash out for 11, Milnes clearly a better and faster bowler under White Lightning’s expert tutelage. Fletcher came in as night-watchman and survived as Notts limped to 35 for two off 12 overs with Slater on 18 and Fletcher on 1 as stumps were drawn at 1740. MAG

Announced Squad of 14:

Jake Libby
Ben Slater
Chris Nash
Steven Mullaney
Joe Clarke
Ben Duckett
Tom Moores
Liam Patterson-White
Paul Coughlin
Ravi Ashwin
Zak Chappell
Luke Wood
Luke Fletcher
Jake Ball

After the distractions of the Blast, it's back to the bitter reality of the hole that those in charge at Trent Bridge have dug for the club.

Mathematically Notts could escape relegation with victories over Warwickshire and firstly against Kent but realistically no one will be expecting Warwickshire to implode to the extent to allow Notts to leapfrog them into seventh position, even if Notts won three games (Surrey away being the other match).

Notts would have to overcome:

• the form of the past 15 months or so
• the form of the past decade or more of historic September cricket played by Mick Newell's Notts sides which is in the main dire
• the dismal championship playing form of the bowlers and the batsmen in 2019 where in the graphic above you can see the margins of defeat. Games haven't just been lost, we've been slaughtered

Questions

Is Ravi Ashwin back in the UK? Answer yes back and training

Will Steven Mullaney make a possibly premature return following surgery? Answer yes Mull returns as skipper

Will Paul Coughlin play again?

Will the "great white hope" of our bowling attack for the "next decade", Zak Chappell be "available" to lead the fight?

Has Jake Ball been looking for his mo-jo and has he found it yet?

Should Notts look to to build a side now with a view to gaining promotion next season, bringing in some fresh stock from the Seconds to see who will and can adapt and grow into a Championship cricketer?