Leicestershire CC Championship at Trent Bridge Virtually

Remember: Safe home, Protect the NHS, Save lives.


NOTTS WIN ONE-SIDED ENTERTAINMENT

With no powerplay, fielding restrictions or coloured kit, the day felt like a blast from the past with a whiff of B&H as Nottinghamshire openers Hales and Nash strode out to bat, Notts having won the toss (made with the aid of mobile technology and with no need to look at the wicket as the hybrid was being used).

Fielders on the outfield in their numbers, a white uniform and red ball, Alex Hales was clearly out of his comfort zone as he scratched about during the first ten to fifteen overs, while his partner, Chris Nash took it all in his stride, hitting ropes with regularity.

Notts reached lunch, yes we had lunch taken at 13.10, Notts 166/0 Nash 78*, Hales 59*

After lunch Notts used their solid platform to good effect and dispatched the Foxes' bowling to all parts. At the end of the 55 overs Notts had reached 375-4 Nash 104, Hales 98, Duckett 80, Budinger 40* Clarke 39, Trego 22*.

At Tea the Leicestershire chase had stumbled to 102/8, so it decided to make a game of it; unused batsman were added to the Foxes line-up Samit Patel made a rapid 60, Matt Carter 44 and Stuart Broad hit and 3 ball 8 but the visitors closed on 301/14, well adrift of the nominal target.

ALL CHANGE

Lord’s had spoken, the fixture was null and void after three days. Too many evolving rule changes had “ruined the integrity of the game”. No statistics accrued from the game would be classed as first class. Virtual handshakes were made over Skype at 9.00AM

The umpires had decided that they would officiate a 55 over game on “day four”, no power play overs to allow fielder spacing to continue. The new pitch fielder exclusion zone will remain, as will the coat stand, now fitted with a little pouch to retain the second ball.

Notts had picked-up precautionary COVID-19 symptom self-isolation casualties in Luke Fletcher (slight temperature), Tom Moores (undisclosed) and Steven Mullaney (head ache), over night.

Nottinghamshire announced the following team at the toss: Alex Hales, Chris Nash ©, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Peter Trego, Sol Budinger (w), Samit Patel, Matt Carter, Tom Barber, Stuart Broad, Harry Gurney

Leicestershire had only the following players available: Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Lewis Hill, Paul Horton ©, Arron Lilley, Will Davis, Callum Parkinson, Tom Taylor, Ben Mike, Rehan Ahmed, Jabari Darrell, plus Raheem Ahmed and Prahlad Odedra. 





Day 3



BAD AIR


Day three's play was delayed by 45 minutes after Leicestershire had sent a protest in to the umpires complaining about an unlevel playing field. 

Firstly, the Foxes squad reported for duty 3 men down - struck down with possible COVID-19 symptoms. One player complained of a persistant cough as he passed smoker behind the pavilion yesterday evening whilst the other two stuck in traffic this morning, complained that they felt hot and sweaty and turned their cars around at Willoughby on the Wolds on the A46 and went home into isolation.

Secondly, they entered the ground and were greeted to the new pitch zoning which effectively scuppered their plans for the day. "You can't change the rules halfway through", added Horton and Lilley in unison (but 2 metres apart) .

Paul Nixon messaged David Millns with a sad "smiley" face emoji on Snapchat "unlevel playing field".

Millns and Illingworth then employed Notts Committee member John Gillott - FFPWS MRICS MCIOB (a surveyor) who produced a special spirit level to prove the levelness of the Trent Bridge surface.

Nixon was heard shouting "it was a damned metaphor" as his players entered the playing arena, one by one. The missing players from the first two day are: Harry Swindells, Harry Dearden and Gavin Griffiths.

Two Highlights?

The morning and afternoon sessions were highlighted with bad temper and maturity beyond years. Leicestershire were clearly not in the right frame of mind to play and showed it with negative, wide and short pitched fare. Haseeb Hameed on the other hand showed great maturity and just played his own game, ignoring most balls bowled wide of him or at his head and body.

Ton

Despite a slowing scoring rate, Hameed reached his debut century for Nottinghamshire just before lunch, having lost partners Trego and Patterson-White along the way.

Thirty minutes after lunch Ben Mike added his second and third wickets of the day, wrapping up the Nottinghamshire innings on 399 all out, Hameed 109.

No Harry

Having lost both their Harrys to COVID symptoms, The Foxes were now overly reliant on Hassan Azad and his imperious form he’d brought through from last season. Azad didn’t disappoint in his reliability at least as Leicestershire crawled to 22/1, Sam Evans out to the bowling of Peter Trego for 19. Leicestershire were effectively on a run strike.

At tea the umpires held a tele-conference with both captains, coaches, DOCs and the MCC, whilst spectators followed the sun as in the shade it was still quite cool today, many still taking advantage of the indoor facilities belatedly laid on.

After tea the Leicestershire camp appeared, if not happy, then less miserable than earlier in the day. Azad kept the ship archored, lost three shipmates before dolling a catch to Fletcher at mid-off from the bowling of Mullaney himself but at the close Leicestershire were 103/5, still needing 74 more runs to avoid an innings defeat.

What will happen tomorrow? 

Who will be available and not self-isolating? _________________

The umpires were reading the latest email from the MCC long before dawn and had already alerted Steve Birks of the new pitch markings that had to be painted around the wicket before play could start on day 3 before he'd had his breakfast and taken delivery of toilet rolls, pasta, tinned beans, tinned tomatoes, bleach and liquid soap that was due at 7.30AM at the Radcliffe Road gates.

Stocks of whitewash are high, it's the beginning of the season afterall, so groundstaff should have no problems with the 2 metre, shaded fielder exclusion zone being marked around the whole wicket.

Day 2 

NEW RULES, NEW HERO?

The morning’s play commenced in much cooler but still bright conditions with now familiar well spaced field settings. Haseeb and Mullaney made steady but not spectacular progress through-out the first hour. 12.03, Gavin Griffiths, bowling from the Radcliffe Road end delivered a peach of ball cutting into Steven Mullaney, missing bat, pads and stumps that slapped loudly into Lewis Hill’s gloves, resulting lots of encouraging yells from the fielders. Will Davis approached the bowler, no doubt to give an affirming pat of encouragement but pulled-back within inches of doing so, not making contact but he was too late he had willing encroached another player’s social spacing and Nottinghamshire were awarded their first COVID-19 penalty runs by the eagle-eyed monitor viewer, Umpire Millns.

Murmurs within the crowd had just died down when the whole ground heard Millns’ phone alert him of a notification. Was it from his former teammate and now Leicestershire head coach?

A quarter of an hour later, Chris Wright bowling from the pavilion end thought he had induced an edge from Mullaney’s bat, turned and marched to the camera in the coat stand shouting his appeal, only to find the non-striking Hameed Haseeb standing directly behind the coat stand, obscured by Wright’s own jumpers but less than 1 metre away from the ranting bowler. Another 19 penalty runs resulted.

Meltdown

Another Snapchat notification on Millns’ mobile could be heard by the wrapped crowd of two thousand observers who were left in no doubt as an angry Nixon followed it up, stood mid pavilion steps jumping up and down in annoyance, steam almost pumping out of his ears. All now knew that he’d sent flaming comments on Snapchat to his former colleague.

Calm returned, David Millns “hid” behind his ECB official mask, Paul Nixon retreated to his own pigeon hole in the pavilion and a twelfth man went to the middle with a message from the pigeon hole for the Leicestershire skipper. 

On came Parkinson with fielders close either side of the batsmen, effectively restricting the batsmen to playing straight only, any lateral movement by the batsman would encroach on the fielders' space. Runs dried-up. Notts reached lunch 108/1 A frustrated Steven Mullaney out for 41 on the last delivery of the session. 



With officials still awaiting a decision from the MCC on the absurdity of field placing limiting batsmen’s lateral movements, with an ever-changing list of temporary new laws, play resumed after lunch. Lunch had seen improved situation for spectators on the ground as more food outlets were open than on day 1 (Mick and Lisa had swiftly retired from that role). Several customers having gone to the Bridgford Road Co-op were refused re-entry to the ground initially, after they worked-up a slight temperature running across the road and back. After a brief gentle stroll around the block most managed to regain their seats inside the ground via a different gate with a different thermometer.

Chris Nash took command, playing everything straight he drove to perfection as Leicestershire utilised blocking fielders to all bowlers. The bowlers countered Nash’s driving pushing the ball wide of the off stump but unsympathetic umpiring called more than the occasional wide and that exercise soon became costly. Haseeb remained content to play second fiddle. Nash ultimately perished on the ropes, a leaping catch by Harry Swindells off Griffiths’ bowling 146/2.

The wind now gusting was biting with an icy chill and several spectators petitioned the CEO about honouring former promises made to open-up the Randall Suite to spectators. Just before tea the announcement was made that the Randall Suite and certain executive boxes in the Radcliffe Road stand would be opened to members, “in light of there not being any members’ area for this fixture”, for the rest of this game.

An orderly, shivering, 2 metre spaced “stampede” made their ways to opposite ends of the ground and most would have missed the departure of Clarke (2) and Duckett (3) neither of whom look comfortable with the amount of close, but 2 metres away company. Duckett was heard gesticulating that “he wouldn’t stop f***ing farting, I couldn’t breathe”. Duckett’s comments would explain Clarke’s earlier arm waving when at the crease and on his walk back to the pavilion. Notts 166/4 at tea.

You could have been forgiven for thinking that the game was being played behind closed doors, all outside seats were empty. The Randall Suite had at least 4 staggered spaced rows of seats and every executive box had faces peering through their window. Hand sanitizer ran out at 4.25. Word had been received from Lord’s, all fielders must stand a minimum of 3 metres from either batsman for the remainder of this game and a full MCC committee meeting will be held via MS Teams (not Zoom) to evaluate the impact of social distancing on the quality of cricket played this week around the country.

Tom Moores raced to his fifty after tea, his face mask obviously being an upgraded model more akin to a gas mask giving him the confidence to breathe. His 50 came off 31 deliveries. The entertainment soon ended however when Moores was stumped off the bowling of Arron Lilley, keeper Hill driving full stretch forward to dislodge the bails, having stood back 2.5 metres or more, Moores 57, Notts 244/6.

By stumps Notts had edged their way to 275/6 a lead of 53, Haseeb 75* Trego 5*

Samit Patel has been, hopefully only temporarily, put on to quarantine watch after displaying possible symptoms for COVID-19 - he reportedly told his wife that on return from the game, he couldn't spell his dinner cooking [loss of the sense of smell, a symptom of COVID-19 as well as for a cold or for hay fever, or for no dinner being cooked owing to being "too busy caring for your soddin' children"]. Samit's wife immediately locked Samit in a small room, in isolation, fed the kids and then phoned the NHS helpline and lastly Peter Moores. Notts have nominated Peter Trego as CSR - COVID SYMPTOM REPLACEMENT and he set to make his Notts debut today. Day 1

CHAPPELL BREAKS HIS DUCK


Zak Chappell at last takes a wicket for Notts

Zak Chappell opened his account for Nottinghamshire, taking four wickets against his former employers, on a grafting day at a social distancing Trent Bridge.

A crowd of around two and half thousand diehards had their temperatures assessed, scrubbed their hands before entry and happily observed 2 metre spacing between themselves. 

Between each and every over spectators and players were reminded of Government guidelines on a loop that was often inaudible because of the shouting between spectators, just having a conversation (at distance). Hassan Azad battled for most of the day for the visitors with a hard worked 86.

Teams at the toss

Leicestershire officials declined to comment when asked about the whereabouts of overseas sourced players: Colin Ackermann, Dieter Klein, Mark Cosgrove and Janneman Malan, refusing to say which country or even on which continent the players were currently situated.

Leicestershire, as did Nottinghamshire, announced teams with a mixture of youth and experience at the toss, which stand-in and returning to be skipper Paul Horton called incorrectly.

Leicestershire: Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells, Paul Horton c, Will Davis, Arron Lilley, Chris Wright, Callum Parkinson, Gavin Griffiths, 12th man is Tom Taylor and COVID Symptom Replacements (CSRs) are Ben Mike and Rehan Ahmed.

Nottinghamshire: Steven Mullaney c, Haseeb Hameed, Chris Nash, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Samit Patel, Tom Moores, Liam Patterson-White, Luke Fletcher, Zak Chappell, Jake Ball, 12th man Ben Slater, CSRs Peter Trego, Joey Evison.

Umpires

At the toss we received our first and only sighting of the umpires Millns and Illingworth (both now on the International list) as they led the legally spaced procession out towards the middle, umpires, captains and a random young woman with a phone and clipboard (as is the norm). Everyone viewed the playing surface individually and waved their approval to the groundsman, who was sat behind the glass doors beneath the scoreboard. As tradition dictated, Steven Mullaney flipped the coin (his own) and Horton made his call via a zoom chat message, as he was now at the boundary rope. Umpire Millns went to inspect the coin once Mullaney had retreated and added his message to the chat, Mullaney then adding that Notts would bowel [sic] *autocorrection on Zoom chat. All this was played out on the big screen for the smattering of spectators to watch live – a welcome innovation. Mullaney then retrieved his coin and returned to his area of the pavilion.

Thunderstorms?

Head groundsman, Steve Birks, then brought out two coat stands, fitting with video cameras, to stand in place of the umpires, who had now positioned themselves at their 2 metre apart monitors in a near empty pavilion, ready for play to commence, just as the Met Office issue a yellow warning for thunderstorms in our area.

Play commenced on to in sunny conditions, Fletcher bowling a controlled first over to Hassan Azad, the field well-spaced, 2 slips (2^ndand 4^th) and a 2^nd gully, all keeping a good distance from each other. The over was the first of five consecutive maidens from the Bulwell Bomber and a good start to his initial spell over the first hour.  Jake Ball backed-up the Bomber with a frugal spell of his own and after an enthralling first hour Leicestershire had advanced to 12 for 0 from 14 overs. The only chance was catch given by Sam Evans which was deflected of the Umpiring coat stand to Zak Chappell at mid-on and was deemed a dead ball after some debate and a swift call to NW8 by a confident Umpire Illingworth.

First change came on Zak Chappell, with a loosener over in which Sam Evans managed to double his personal tally to 16 with a couple of fours through the vacant first slip. At the end of that over, Chappell went off the field to change his boots but returned ready to commence the 19^th over.

First Notts wicket

Second ball of the 19^th a ball cutting across Sam Evans, nipped off the seam, cut back in and removed the right-hander off stump. 25 for 1 which following a celebratory fist bump with Luke Fletcher became 44 for 1. The first COVID-19 social distancing code violation 19 penalty runs awarded. Disappointed and unsettled by the error of judgement made by himself and Fletcher, Chappell again left the field and the end of the over, to wash his hands.

Much of the second hour saw the bowling of Steven Mullaney with the keeper Moores standing up (almost) in order to enable the use of a first and third slip. And it was a catch to Ben Duckett at third slip off Mullaney’s bowling that accounted for Harry Dearden (7).  As the clock approached Samit o’clock, Liam Patterson-White came on to bowl the first over of spin in 2020 a quick-timed maiden leaving an opportunity for Samit Patel to follow suit with the 35^th over of the morning session. 

Foxes 68/2. Azad 21*

Dominance of Azad

The middle session was dominated by the influence of two players, Hassan Azad who doggedly batted through the session whilst he lost four of his colleagues, three of whom fell to Zak Chappell.

Azad went to tea on 62* and Leicestershire 158/6, certainly having to graft for every run. On the other hand, Zak Chappell bowled in three short spells and took a wicket in the opening over of each, accounting for Lewis Hill (17), Harry Swindells (12) and Will Davis who was clean bowled for a duck. Luke Fletcher removed Paul Horton who feathered an edge to the wicketkeeper.

Delayed

Resumption after tea was delayed by twenty minutes; clouds had been gathering all afternoon and viewed through their monitors, both umpires decided that there was insufficient light to play. However, once the players remained at their safe distance and the covers were covering the square, both Illingworth and Millns ventured from the pavilion and onto the field of play. A snap decision was made to ignore the monitors and adopt a common sense approach to light and so the skeleton crew of ground staff immediately readied the pitch for a resumption.

Welcome the Welbeck Wizard

Jake Ball restarted the proceedings as Leicestershire in the form of Arron Lilley adopted a long handle approach; having scored 32 runs Lilley fell to a diving extra cover boundary catch by Joe Clarke off Jake Ball’s bowling. Chris Wright (1) and Callum Parkinson (5) both followed (at a safe distance) Lilley back to the pavilion victims of the same bowler but were both caught at second slip by Steven Mullaney, beaten by the pace and bounce generated by Welbeck Wizard.

Azad Falls

On 86 Hassan Azad fell to a caught and bowled effort off Liam Patterson-White, the ball bouncing up, glancing the bat and brushing upwards and back to the bowler’s right off his pad. A fine grafting innings from the former Notts Academy lad. Leicestershire 222 all out. Chappell 4/52 Ball 3/49.

Notts had six overs to bat before the close, which the new opening pair of Mullaney and Haseeb Hameed managed without losing a wicket, 9/0

Preview
HOPE WILL CONQUER ALL

Any pre-season training having been hampered by social distancing and sporadic periods of self-isolation within the squad, Nottinghamshire’s playing staff assembled on Zoom prior to team selection and press release this lunchtime ahead of the opening game of Coronavirus County Championship against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.

Unavailable

Nottinghamshire’s overseas signing and former Fox favourite, Mohammad Abbas, is still grounded, as are all flights, in and out of Pakistan whereas Leicestershire’s South African Janneman Malan is rumoured to be enjoying a period of quarantine on the Wirral (this has not been confirmed by the club, the player or Twitter).

Skipper Steven Mullaney said that the whole squad were chomping at the bit and eager to face the challenges of the new temporary playing restrictions, necessarily implemented during the current outbreak, to break the club’s longstanding winless run and set on a positive path in the quest to win some silverware in 2020, "it was never about the prize money" the Skipper added.

Club shop open

Trent Bridge officials have insisted supporters wishing to attend tomorrow: must adhere to the 2 metre social distancing rules unless it’s a member of their own household that has encroached and is close to them, bring proof of age in order to avoid embarrassment at the gate (remember over 70s must not travel to the game), and to make a necessary purchase from the club shop to conform to government rules about shopping being allowed. The club shop now sells 2 metre rulers in club colours as well as a range of replica club face masks, both very “essential”. The club shop also hopes to have new stocks of toilet rolls, pasta and paracetamol in time for day three of this fixture.

Coop

The legendary Restaurant Six, being closed during the national lockdown measures, is currently being converted into a chicken coop and egg production is envisaged to be ready for the Derbyshire match which starts on 1st May. The upper tier of the Radcliffe Road stand has already been adapted so that chickens as well as guinea fowl and quail can have free range in a predator free environment.

In transit

Stuart Broad has made himself unavailable for this game which coincides with Easter Sunday, having organised an Easter egg run for senior citizens with the assistance of Harry Gurney’s Transit van.

After the game with the students of Cambridge was cancelled because the MCCU couldn’t not guarantee adequate stewarding to enforce two metre social distancing rules, and the colleges not having enough metric rulers combined to satisfy the authorities; a Cambridge City Council official was quoted as saying “not by any yard-stick is that enough metric rulers for such a public event”, leaving Nottinghamshire’s only warm-up game being a Players XI v a Coaches XXII played earlier this week at Lady Bay, with the gates locked to the public. Following that game Tom Moores was said to be on cloud nine after hitting 36 runs off one over bowled by the head coach, his father Peter Moores and again two overs later he repeated the feat again off the same bowler. “I think I’ve nailed my spot, eh Dad!”, Moores was heard to exclaim after washing his hands.

Reminder

Supporters attending the game are to be reminded that because of restrictions, there will not be any bars open on the ground and catering will be limited to  a takeaway service manned by Mick and Lisa serving buffet style fare as all regular catering staff remained furloughed, following a lack of communication between the ECB, Trent Bridge and those individuals furloughed for what was initially a three week period. Muriel at the ECB wasn’t available for comment, as no one knows her private email address and she is working from home somewhere in Cricklewood. Location of this takeaway outlet will be in the area below the pavilion steps near to the Dixon Gates – to allow for 2 metre spaced queuing beneath the now renamed NHS Coronavirus Support Stand, formerly the Smith Cooper / New stand, and also to allow Lisa to be within reach of her office phone.

The squad released to the media

Following the squad’s assembly to decide the squad for the all-important game, on Zoom, the media were invited to join as Steven Mullaney announced a twenty-man squad:

Jake Ball

Tom Barber

Jack Blatherwick

Sol Budinger Ϯ

Matt Carter

Zak Chappell

Joe Clarke Ϯ

Ben Compton

Ben Duckett Ϯ

Joey Evison

Luke Fletcher

Haseeb Hameed

Lyndon James

Tom Moores Ϯ

Steven Mullaney ©

Chris Nash

Samit Patel

Liam Patterson-White

Ben Slater

Peter Trego

Zak Chappell will have a latr precautionary  fitness test tomorrow morning but is expected to pass and to play against his former employers. No hints were given to if the three new signings: Tom Barber, Haseeb Hameed and Peter Trego, would be making their Nottinghamshire debuts but club cap embroiderer Mrs Spindler has been busy stitching something this week, pictures being posted widely on social media on Good Friday.

As Sod’s Law would predict after the warm climatic conditions of the past week, the herald of the new cricket season brings cooler temperatures with the chance of the odd isolated shower tomorrow.

Nottinghamshire's Winless Run

Date (last day)	Opposition	Venue	Toss	Result	Bat’	Bowl’	Total points
29 June 2018	WORC’SHIRE	TB	U	D	4	3	12
23 July 2018	SURREY	TB	U	LI183R	1	2	3
22 Aug 2018	Hampshire	Rose Bowl	U	L270R	-	3	3
31 Aug 2018	Surrey	The Oval	U	LI125R	-	3	3
07 Sep 2018	YORKSHIRE	TB	U	D	5	2	12
13 Sep 2018	ESSEX	TB	W	L8W	-	3	3
26 Sep 2018	SOMERSET	TB	L	LI146R	-	2	2
08 Apr 2019	YORKSHIRE	TB	U	D	4	3	12
13 Apr 2019	SOMERSET	TB	U	LI14R	2	3	4*
16 May 2019	Essex	Chelmsford	W	L8W	-	3	3
23 May 2019	Hampshire	Newclose	U	L244R	1	3	4
06 June 2019	Warwickshire	Edgbaston	L	D	-	1	6
12 June 2019	HAMPSHIRE	WELBECK	U	D	-	-	5
20 June 2019	Kent	Tunbridge Wells	U	L285R	2	3	5
03 July 2019	ESSEX	TB	W	LI123R	1	1	2
09 July 2019	Somerset	Taunton	L	L132R	1	3	4
15 July 2019	SURREY	TB	L	L167R	-	3	3
21 Aug 2019	Yorkshire	Scarborough	U	L143R	-	3	3
12 Sep 2019	KENT	TB	L	L227R	-	3	3
19 Sep 2019	WARWICKSHIRE	TB	L	L8W	5	1	6
26 Sep 2019	Surrey	The Oval	L	D	-	2	7

* Deducted 1 point for slow over rate

Played 21 Won 0 Drawn 6 Lost 15 Batting 26 Bowling 50 Points 100

This post in no way has the intent to deceive, insult, mislead or undermine Government, organisations or individuals and only hopes to bring a little mild humour during difficult, trying and stressful for many times.

Remember: Safe home, Protect the NHS, Save lives.

HBD