Neil Whitaker reports
Day 1
YORKSHIRE dismissed Nottinghamshire for 59, their lowest score in the Championship this season and finished the day on 260 for eight a lead of 201 in this vital match in the race for the County Championship.
A win for Nottinghamshire would wipe out any chance Yorkshire would have of winning the Championship, while a win for Yorkshire would keep the championship wide open for the final round of matches. Ten days Nottinghamshire seemed to have blown Yorkshire out the championship race when they beat Lancashire at Trent Bridge but Nottinghamshire’s defeat at Durham last week made this a must win match for both teams.
After heavy rain on Monday night, Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale won the toss and put Nottinghamshire in on a green wicket. The Tykes got an early breakthrough when they got their first wicket with the last ball of the first over when makeshift opener Paul Franks flashed at a wide half volley from Ajmal Shahzad and was caught by Jonny Bairstow at third slip.
Alex Hales had a life on three when he edged Shahzad but the fell inches short of Bairstow at third slip but two balls later Hales steered Shahzad into the slip cordon and Adil Rashid took a great catch diving to his right at fourth slip.
Moin Ashraf playing his first LV County Championship match bowled a peach of a ball to get his first wicket. The ball swung late and hit Adam Voges off stump. After 17 overs Notts were 18 for three. In his next over he got rid of Samit Patel with another one that swung and Patel edged it to Gerard Brophy behind the stumps for a duck.
Oliver Hannon-Dalby bowled his first seven overs for 14 runs and got his reward for some good bowling when he trapped Ali Brown shuffling in front leg before for 16. In his next over he had Notts skipper Chris Read leg before for a duck. Nottinghamshire went into lunch at 47 for six. Four balls after lunch Steven Mullaney was another leg before victim to Hannon-Dalby for a duck.
In the next over Mark Wagh edged Shazad to Jacques Rudolph at first for 22, Nottinghamshire’s top scorer. Nottinghamshire managed to get to 50, but Andre Adams was the next to go when he cut Shazad to Adam Lyth at point. Luke Fletcher cut Shahzad for a six over point but without adding to the score Darren Pattinson drove at Hannon-Dalby and was caught behind for a duck. Nottinghamshire were all out for 59 in 33.2 overs. For the Tykes Hannon-Dalby took four for 14 in 9.2 overs, Shahzad took four for 21 in 11 overs and Ashraf took two for 11 in six overs with four maidens.
In their reply the Tykes lost their first wicket in the eighth over when Rudolph couldn’t get on top of one from Adams. The ball hit the shoulder of the bat and flew to Brown in the gully who took the catch above his head. Rudolph made 10.
With his next ball, which was the first ball of his second over, Lyth flashed at a wide one from Adams and was caught by Voges at second slip for 19. Five balls later Gale survived a strong appeal for caught behind on two.
Anthony McGrath edged Franks and that man Adams took a low catch at third slip. It looked like Nottinghamshire would fight back but in the afternoon session in glorious sunshine Gale and Bairstow put the Notts bowlers to the sword as they added 111 in 17 overs for the fourth wicket. The partnership was broken when Bairstow was leg before to Adams for 36. When he was on 17 he was dropped by Hales at slip off Pattinson.
Despite getting hit in the lower stomach twice by Adams, Gale reached his half century in 48 balls with eight fours in 60 minutes. His next 50 took another 59 minutes from another 37 balls with another nine fours.
Brophy left one from Adams which came back and bowled him for five. Rashid drove at Patel and was caught by Fletcher at deepish mid on by Fletcher for 11. Shahzad made seven before he edged Franks to Read.
Gale was dropped on 139 when he drove Patel and found Adams at mid off with five overs left in the day. In the next over Steve Patterson edged Franks to Read for a duck. Gale ended the day unbeaten on 147 three short of his career best.
Day 2
MARK Wagh hit 90 as Nottinghamshire ended the second day of their LV County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Trent Bridge on 357, 152 ahead with four second innings wickets left.
Wagh’s 90 came from 125 balls in a minute short of three hours and he hit 14 fours with two sixes. He hit Adil Rashid for a straight six then he tried to repeat the shot but it went straight to substitute Richard Pyrah at deep mid off.
He received good support from Paul Franks who hit 79 and Adam Voges who made 72. His fifty came from 69 balls in 66 minutes and he hit nine fours. He was the sixth man out when the new ball from Oliver Hannon-Dalby got too big on him and edged it to Gerard Brophy.
In their second innings Nottinghamshire made a steady start and proceeded to lunch without any loss, but in the eighth over after the interval the Tykes got a breakthrough when Alex Hales edged Moin Ashraf to Brophy for 24.
The rest of the afternoon session belonged to Nottinghamshire where a combination of good stroke play between Franks and Wagh and some wayward bowling from Yorkshire handed the initiative to Nottinghamshire. Franks and Wagh put on 131 in 26 overs. Franks reached his 50 in 123 minutes with seven fours from 72 balls and Wagh got to his fifty with 10 fours in 97 minutes and he faced 63 balls. The partnership was broken Franks pushed at Rashid in his second over and was caught at slip for 79, his best score of the season so far. Nottinghamshire went into tea still nine behind with eight wickets standing.
Samit Patel was the fourth wicket to fall when he hung his bat out at a wide one from Ajmal Shahzad and Jonny Bairstow took the catch at third slip at the second attempt. Four overs later Ali Brown wafted at a wide one from Shahzad and Brophy gratefully accepted the catch for four. Chris Read was dropped on seven by Brophy off Shahzad and the ball went for four.
It took Nottinghamshire just 13 balls to wrap up the Tykes first innings on the second day, play started 40 minutes late due to a mixture of overnight rain and morning rain with four overs lost. Yorkshire resumed on 260 for eight, and they lost Hannon-Dalby to the fourth ball of the morning when he was leg before to Andre Adams without adding to his overnight score. Last man Moin Ashraf slashed Adams to Patel at slip off Adams for a duck. Yorkshire were all out for 264 a lead of 205. Skipper Andrew Gale was unbeaten on 151 his career best score beating the 150 made at the Brit Oval in 2008. For Nottinghamshire Adams finished with six for 82, his third five wicket haul in a row. Before this season he hadn’t taken a five wicket haul but this season he’s done it four times.
|
