CricInfo Championship: Nottinghamshire v Hampshire at Nottingham, 12-15 Sep 2001 CricInfo Live Report

CricInfo Championship: Nottinghamshire v Hampshire at Nottingham, 12-15 Sep 2001
Dave Bracegirdle

Nottinghamshire 2nd innings: Stumps - Day 3,
Hampshire 1st innings: Hampshire make halting reply, Hampshire take lead,
Live Reports from previous days

HAMPSHIRE AIM TO FINISH SEASON IN STYLE

Finding themselves unexpectedly asked to bat again after a surprising tea-time declaration by Robin Smith, Nottinghamshire flirted with disaster in losing three quick wickets before recovering slightly to close on 88-3.

With one day remaining the home side lead by 74 with seven second innings wickets intact. Earlier former Zimbabwean Test player Neil Johnson had scored his second century of the season prompting his skipper to call a halt with the score on 259-4.

When Notts did bat again it was no surprise to see Guy Welton’s wretched season end with another disappointment as Alan Mullally took an easy return catch. The opener will want to forget this campaign which has seen him play in 12 matches for an average of just 15.

Greg Blewett received a huge ovation as he made his way to the wicket for his final Championship innings at Trent Bridge but he was quickly back in the pavilion, bowled by Alex Morris for the second time in the game.

Darren Bicknell and Usman Afzaal then both reached important landmarks. Bicknell reached his 1,000 runs for the season with a four through mid-wicket off Morris and Afzaal did the same with a boundary off Mullally.

The introduction of Shaun Udal into the attack broke the partnership as Afzaal flashed at a wide delivery and nicked the ball for Adrian Aymes to take his 500th career catch behind the wicket. At 38-3 Smith’s declaration was beginning to look a shrewd gamble.

In fading light Kevin Pietersen livened up the proceedings with some typically pugnacious drives. Bicknell responded with an all-run four off Mascarenhas and then a cover drive to the ropes off Udal.

The Notts captain passed fifty for the sixth time this season with a glance to leg off Udal (92 mins 103 balls 6x4s) but with five lights shining on the meter the umpires called a halt to the day’s play.

Hampshire took most people by surprise with their decision to declare at tea with a lead of just 14. With Neil Johnson and John Francis batting throughout the afternoon session in adding 183 for the fifth wicket it seemed as if the visitors would go on and compile a substantial first innings lead but Jimmy Cook, the coach, backed his captain by saying that, with second place in the table already confirmed, his side wanted to end the season in style by bowling and then batting their way to victory.

HAMPSHIRE MOVE INTO FIRST-INNINGS LEAD

In the best weather of the match Hampshire enjoyed a fruitful afternoon at Trent Bridge as they moved on to 259-4, a first innings lead of 14 over Notts with six wickets still in hand. Star of the session for the visitors was Neil Johnson who recorded his second century of the season. By the tea interval he was unbeaten on 105 with partner John Francis also going well on 72 not out.

Johnson should have been out for 23 but Greg Blewett spilled a straightforward first slip chance off the bowling of Nadeem Malik.

Reprieved, the former Zimbabwean Test player swiftly moved on to 40, taking him to 1,000 first class runs for the season. He then celebrated by pulling Greg Smith for six over long leg.

His half century (79 mins, 75 balls, 1 x 6, 5 x 4) hadn’t been a totally flawless effort but he then stepped up a notch to play some glorious strokes against indifferent bowling.

A second maximum followed as he launched Usman Afzaal over deep midwicket into the Parr Stand. John Francis, no doubt inspired by the strokeplay at the other end, also began to punish anything loose and the pair extended their stand well beyond the century mark.

Francis reached his maiden Championship half century (125 mins, 108 balls, 9 fours) with a boundary off Afzaal and then had two lives when both Chris Read and Greg Blewett put down thin edges off Kevin Pietersen’s bowling.

Johnson’s century duly arrived with a fine sweep for three off Pietersen (158 mins, 141 balls, two sixes and nine fours) and was followed in the next over by Francis lofting Afzaal for a six over ‘cow corner’ to give Hampshire the first innings lead.

HAMPSHIRE MAKE HALTING REPLY AT TRENT BRIDGE

In response to Nottinghamshire’s 245 all out Hampshire began their reply on the third morning and advanced to 101-4 by lunch.

No doubt there may have been one or two ‘thick heads’ in the visitors’ line-up having clinched promotion the previous day and both Giles White and Derek Kenway looked out of sorts as batting looked difficult against a swinging ball.

Notts needed an early breakthrough and were indebted to their England Under 19 seamer Nadeem Malik who troubled both batsmen before picking up the wicket of White with the final ball of the sixth over.

An away-swinger pitched towards the leg stump induced the batsman to try and clip the ball through midwicket but the late movement found an outside edge which flew high to Greg Blewett at first slip.

Without further addition to the total Hampshire lost another wicket. Greg Smith, Notts' newly-crowned Player of the Year, knocked back Kenway’s off stump to grab his 50th Championship wicket of the season.

At the fall of the wicket the entire Hampshire squad made their way out to the middle to join the home side in observing three minutes' silence for the victims of Tuesday’s atrocities in the United States.

Will Kendall and Robin Smith set about re-building the innings, but on 10 the Hampshire skipper had a huge let-off. Richard Logan, on as first change at the Pavilion End, saw Bilal Shafayat drop a relatively easy offering at mid-on as Smith’s mistimed pull flew straight to him.

Logan continued to be frustrated as both batsmen reached the third man boundary with flashes through the densely–populated slip cordon.

The start of the 24th over saw Kevin Pietersen replace Logan and the move brought immediate dividends. His first delivery was turned behind square by Kendall. Smith charged down the track from the non-strikers end but was sent back as the shot had gone straight to Guy Welton. The fielder’s return to Pietersen was excellent and Smith was a yard short of his ground when the bails were removed.

Logan, back in the attack, had more joy from the Radcliffe Road end, trapping Kendall lbw three runs later.

Neil Johnson, on 960 first class runs for the season, was joined by John Francis for the final 20 minutes before the interval which was safely negotiated with the addition of 25 more runs.