Nottinghamshire 201 & 15/0 v 93 Leicestershire (County Championship Division Two) 05.09.23

*day one (of four)

What an eventful return to red ball cricket we had at Trent Bridge yesterday, as top of the table Nottinghamshire look to close their 2022 summer campaign with promotion back to the first division, they stumbled to a relatively low tally before bowling out their opponents with near a ton to spare and will go again, on day two of their County Championship second tier match v Leicestershire, knowing a win would take the side closer to their end goal with just two matches of the season after to play.

After a good six-week layoff following Royal London one day cup action and the ECB’s newest toy the Hundred, taking precedent in place of the shunted to one side County game, Nottinghamshire returned to four day action with a thirty point lead on second placed Middlesex going into the last three games of the season.

Put into bat, the hosts lost Haseeb Hameed for just one single boundary of four runs scored before Ben Slater was bowled by Chris Wright on 17, Notts 26 for 2 inside nine overs.

Matthew Montgomery, in good form in the 50 over competition recently, along with Joe Clarke, pushed the score along into the interval before Clarke was done shortly after lunch, LBW by Barnes for 20, with Notts 83 for 3.

The hosts passed 100 before Montgomery fell on 43, James then went for a quick 16 as Moores followed for just ten, Notts 130 for 6 and in trouble as the Foxes attack led by Chris Wright and Ed Barnes ripped through the middle order.

Patterson-White was next, caught and bowled Wright on 17 with Notts 168 for 7 before Mullaney went for 21 to another Barnes LBW.

Hutton was the ninth down with the score on 180 before the last wicket of Paterson went shortly after Notts reached 200, the home side all out before tea with a full session still to go of the first day.

That session, would also go the way of the bowlers, as Leicestershire, in their response, crumbled.

A Luke Fletcher masterclass saw the medium fast paced bowler rip through the opening order, Azad leaving the crease after nicking through to Moores on one, Kimber following for just six, Ackerman for two and Patel, a second ball duck, Fletcher ending with four wickets for 23 from his nine overs.

By the time Paterson took the wicket of Swindells for just one, Leicestershire were 33 for 5 and really up against it. Barnes lasted 23 balls until he went LBW to Hutton, Walker defended three overs before falling without score again to the hitman, Parkinson then went for 1 before being caught behind off the bowling of Paterson for a 100th first class Notts wicket and Wright left the field of play with the score on 79/9 and a third wicket of the match to Brett Hutton.

It was left to Liam Patterson-White to take the last wicket of Finan for 6, but not without seeing Sam Evans, who carried his bat, reach fifty not out, a bad, in fact horrendous batting spell by Leicestershire swayed the match in Notts favour hugely, it was left to Slater and Hameed to see out the night intact, Tuesday is a day where the league leaders can build an unassailable advantage in this particular game, and edge a step nearer the title dream with just Worcestershire and Durham next to play.

Focus will be building a score big enough to give the hosts a healthy second innings lead, then trust their bowlers in seeing out the game and skittling the visitors out. Remember, there’s still three days left to play, although the weather could still play a part, I wouldn’t put it past being over by tonight.

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

Leicestershire XI: Evans, Azad, Kimber, Ackermann, Patel, Swindells, Barnes, Walker, Parkinson (c), Wright, Finan.

Venue: Trent Bridge, Nottingham

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @TrentBridge Luke Fletcher celebrates during a superb spell of bowling.