Emphatic Notts Go Top Of Table

Leicestershire 440 & 99 v Nottinghamshire 548/9 (County Championship Division Two)

12.06.22-15.06.22

*four day match Nottinghamshire win by an innings & 9 runs

After their recent victory in the twenty20 competition, Nottinghamshire again met Leicestershire at Grace Road in the latest match in Division Two of the County Championship.

A fantastic performance on the third day helped the county to an easy innings and nine runs victory after amassing a large first innings total.

Having won the toss, Notts put the home team into bat, and after Rishi Patel (26) was dismissed with the total on 63, Lewis Hill and Colin Ackermann put on a stand of 141 for the third wicket. Hill played aggressively to score 104 off 133 balls, with 15 fours, while Ackermann was more patient in hitting 116.

Louis Kimber added 33 as Leicestershire finished the first day on 340 for 8. James Pattinson took two wickets, but the best spell came from spinner Liam Patterson-White, who captured 3 for 37 in 14 overs.

Leicestershire extended their first innings total to 440 all out, as seam bowler Ben Mike made 78 off 100 balls, and last man Will Davis an unbeaten 32. The pair put on 89 for the last wicket in just under 16 overs. Brett Hutton, Pattinson, and Steven Mullaney took two wickets apiece, whilst Patterson-White finished with 3 for 45.

In reply, Notts scored quickly after losing Ben Slater for 12. Haseeb Hameed slammed 12 boundaries in his 64-ball 59, and added 66 with Ben Duckett for the second wicket. Duckett continued his marvellous championship form with a fifty off 40 balls, and his second hundred of the season off 112 balls (17 fours). When he was dismissed in the 56th over with the total already on 311, he had produced a brilliant innings of 145 off only 153 balls. There were 21 boundaries in his knock. His partnership with Joe Clarke had seen 198 put up for the third wicket in 35 overs.

Clarke was eventually caught for 89 off 114 balls (13 fours), before skipper Steven Mullaney (37 not out), safely saw Notts to 373 for 5 at the close, just 67 adrift of Leicestershire. The county had scored at a rapid rate of over five an over throughout the day.

The third day saw Notts extend their total to a dominant 548 all out. Mullaney continued where he left off the previous evening, stroking ten fours in a 79-ball 62 before falling with the total on 418. Patterson-White showed his all-round prowess with 34 runs off 49 balls, and wicket-keeper Tom Moores stroked the ball to all parts – seven fours and two sixes – before he was forced to retire hurt on 81 off only 119 balls, to give the county a handsome lead of 108.

Leicestershire were unable to put up much of a fight in their second innings, as wickets fell at regular intervals, with only opener Hassan Azad (34), making much of an impression. South African Dane Paterson continued his fine form for the county, with 3 for 30 off 14 overs, but it was spinner Patterson-White with 4 for 15 off 13 overs who took the bowling honours, as the last three wickets fell for one run.

Bowled out for 99 in 45 overs, the home side were still nine runs short of Notts’ total. With 28 wickets apiece, both Paterson and Patterson-White, who took seven wickets in the match, lead the county bowling honours so far this season.

With the win, Nottinghamshire went to the top of the Division Two table as leaders Middlesex were beaten by Derbyshire. The county are on 131 points from seven games, with five wins, whilst Middlesex slip to second with 121 points from seven matches. Leicestershire are still bottom of the table, with 54 points from eight games.

Notts now continue their efforts in the Vitality Blast twenty20 competition on Friday, with a match against the Birmingham Bears.

Leicestershire XI: Azad, Patel, Hill, Ackerman, Mulder, Kimber, Swindells, Mike, Parkinson (c), Wright, Davis.

Nottinghamshire XI: Slater, Hameed, Duckett, Clarke, James, Mullaney (c), Moores, Patterson-White, Pattinson, Hutton, Paterson.

Venue: Grace Road, Leicester