LVCC: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Day 2

After Luke Fletcher’s heroics on Day 1, Nottinghamshire resumed Day 2 of this LVCC match on 305 for 8 with Mark Ealham and Darren Pattinson at the crease on 65 and 1 respectively. Pattinson showed his team’s intentions as early as the first ball; he took advantage of Hampshire’s lack of a third man and paddled the ball for 4 off Imran Tahir.

Pattinson’s early intentions where just a splash in the water, as he was soon walking back to the pavilion for 12. He edged a David Griffiths delivery to second slip where Dominic Cork was waiting with open arms to claim the easiest of catches. Charlie Shreck entered the fray as last man but was heading back for just 5 runs as he swung and missed a Griffiths ball that went on to hit the stumps and claim his fourth wicket of the match. Ealham’s brave efforts left him on 70 not out as Nottinghamshire finished on 326.

Now it was down to Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry to set Hampshire on the road to a competitive total. Carberry punished the bowling of Shreck with two fine hits that both flew for 4 in just the 4th over. Hampshire continued batting effectively as a collective effort from the openers brought up Hampshire’s 50 in the 14th over.

Nottinghamshire soon captured the prize wicket of Carberry (27); his attempted block shot flew to Will Jefferson in the slips off Luke Fletcher’s bowling. Michael Lumb joined Adams at the crease as the visitors put Samit Patel into the attack. Adams, in punishing mood, struck the spinner’s first ball through cover for 4 and struck one down the ground again for 4 in the same over.

Hampshire were 85 for 1 at lunch.

Adams


Hampshire began the afternoon session looking to build on their strong start. They initially found runs hard to come by against the veteran all-rounder Mark Ealham, fresh from his own batting heroics, though Jimmy Adams did reach his 22nd First Class fifty with a flick down to fine leg for his eleventh 4. Adams and Lumb took Hampshire past the 100 mark, with Adams continuing to impress, stroking a 4 through the covers off Fletcher. Lumb offered a tough chance off Ealham but Jefferson was unable to hold a one handed catch at second slip. In the next over Lumb finally got his innings going with a firmly struck cover drive for 4.

With Nottinghamshire striving for a breakthrough, Pattinson was brought on to bowl. However the boundaries only became more frequent with Lumb picking up two in one over from sweetly struck cover drives. Adams continued to move towards his century, square cutting Patel for 4, and the pair rotated the strike intelligently, frustrating the visiting bowlers.

Shortly before the tea break Lumb dented Patel’s tidy figures, drilling him for 4 before launching him over square leg for 6. However Patel got his revenge in his next over – Lumb charged down the pitch only to miss the ball and was smartly stumped by opposition captain Chris Read, having made 43. The dismissal ended a 109 run partnership and brought in James Vince for his first LVCC game.

After taking a good look at the bowlers Vince came impressively off the mark with a late cut through point for 4 before pulling Shreck through midwicket for two more boundaries. Patel continued to trouble at the Northern End, with an enthusiastic lbw appeal against Adams turned down.

Hampshire were 184 for 2 at tea.

The first ball after tea saw the instant dismissal of James Vince for 13. Mark Ealham found an edge and Vince’s attempted forward drive fell kindly to the hands of Will Jefferson at second slip. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Jimmy Adams moving on to his fifth First Class century. Samit Patel was the man that conceded the runs as Adams played him beautifully, hitting two 4s to bring up his prolific ton off 171 balls.

Hampshire swiftly moved past the 200 mark with Adams continuing his fantastic innings with a well-driven 4 through cover. Then disaster hit when Nottinghamshire finally got their man; Adams’ dominance was ended when Bilal Shafayat caught him at short leg for Patel’s second wicket of the day. Adams left to great applause from the crowd having scored 112 runs, his highest total at The Rose Bowl.

Chris Benham (13) then perished, fencing at a rising delivery from Luke Fletcher and being caught by Jefferson at slip. Sean Ervine arrived at the crease with Vince as a runner, following his hamstring pull yesterday. Pothas drove Hampshire past the 250 with a boundary through the covers but Ervine (1) departed quickly after that, edging to Chris Read behind the stumps. New batsman Dominic Cork survived a strong lbw appeal early in his innings before getting off the mark with a well-timed drive for 4.

Hampshire’s hopes of passing Nottinghamshire’s total began to diminish when Patel had Pothas (36) caught at short leg by Shafayat then Imran Tahir (0) tried to hit the spinner over the top but succeeded only in finding the safe hands of Mark Ealham at mid on. Patel secured his maiden First Class five wicket haul, inducing an edge from David Griffiths which was well taken by Ali Brown at first slip.

Cork and James Tomlinson saw Hampshire through to the close of play, ending the day on 287 for 9, 39 behind Nottinghamshire’s total.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Mark Tilley.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)