Match report day 3: Notts v Lancs in Championship 2003 by Neil Adams

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Scorecard:

Nottinghamshire v Lancashire

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Summary for Day 3

As the news filtered through from the Oval that Essex had beaten Surrey by 8 wickets, Lancashire were already in "wind-down" mode in the full knowledge that second place was secure (4th time in six years). However, the day started with an air of tension - should Lancashire lose and Surrey draw, both teams would finish on 223 points with identical wins, losses, draws and bonus points. Lancashire's over rate was minus 1 (A reduction of 0.25 points).

 

Lancashire started the day in an ideal fashion - Chris Read leg before to the very first ball. Russell Warren inside edged the ball to Hegg in the 22nd over without troubling the scorers. Chapple continued with his personal crusade either side of the lunch interval by removing 3 further wickets. As the match approached the tea interval (and Lancashire relaxed), Mal Loye and Iain Sutcliffe shared the bowling. Despite leading by 439 runs by the tea break, Nottinghamshire elected to carry on batting, thus allowing Paul Franks to reach his century. Set 477 to win from a minimum 120 overs, the visitors were soon forced from the field due to bad light (6 for 0) and no further play was possible

 

Bowling Performance of the Day

Glen Chapple finished with 6 for 98 from 33 overs. He bowled unchanged from the start of Nottinghamshire's 2nd innings for 31 overs from the Radcliffe Road End. Chapple was desperate to capture one more wicket to finish with 50 for the season. Alas, as he tired, he conceded runs heavily. In the 60th over, Chapple dropped a tough caught and bowled opportunity from Franks, while Carl Hooper dropped Shafayat at first slip from Chapple's bowling in the 34th over. John Wood bowled a spirited spell of 11 overs for 43 and was very unfortunate not to take a wicket - see fielding performance below. Iain Sutcliffe was delighted to dismiss Greg Smith in the 76th over thanks to a smart catch by Stuart Law at first slip

 

Batting Performance of the Day

Lancashire only batted for 3 overs at the end of the days play due to bad light - Chilton 3 not out, and Sutcliffe 1 not out. Earlier in the day, Paul Franks scored a century from 112 balls including 12 x 4 & 2 x 6, and Samit Patel scored his maiden 50 from 74 balls (6 x 4 & 2 x 6)

 

Fielding Performance of the Day

Dreadful - simply dreadful. Endless missed chances courtesy of drop catches, shocking ground work, and below average throwing. Hegg dropped 2, and Hooper dropped one in the space of 2 overs. (Poor John Wood - he kept finding the edge but his colleagues let him down). Chapple dropped one from his own bowling but could be excused due to the power imposed by Franks. Nottinghamshire's batsmen regularly took quick singles to Martin and Wood (At mid-on/off respectively), and they were fielding in close to prevent this from happening - truthfully, all of Lancashire's fielders appeared to have switched off

 

Highlights of the Day

• Lancashire secured second place in the division one table
• Chapple's bowling performance (3) Sutcliffe's wicket - he finished the season top of the bowling averages (1 for 11) and Mal Loye finished in second place with 1 for 16!

 

Lowlights of the Day

• Glen Chapple failed to take his 50th wicket of the season
• Lancashire's fielding - as detailed above (3) Kyle Hogg's bowling - hopefully just a loss of confidence (1 for 50 from 9 overs)

 

Discussion Point of the Day

Should Nottinghamshire have declared earlier during the day? It was obvious that the light was fading, even before the tea interval.

 

Key Notes of the Day

• Read lbw b Chapple 2 (First ball of the day) - 16 for 2 in the 6th over - Bicknell 11*
• Warren caught Hegg bowled Chapple 0 (Inside edge) - 22 for 3 in the 10th over - Bicknell 17*
• 53 for 3 in the 18th over - Bicknell 37* Pietersen 11*
• 50 partnership - 75 for 3 in the 25th over - Bicknell 47* Pietersen 21*
• 53 Bicknell from 75 balls (7 x 4) - 84 for 3 in the 27th over - Pietersen 24*
• Bicknell caught Hooper bowled Chapple 53 - 85 for 4 in the 28th over - Pietersen 25*
• 103 for 4 in the 32nd over - Pietersen 28* Shafayat 15*
• Pietersen 28 dropped by Hegg - 103 for 4 in the 33rd over - Shafayat 15*
• Shafayat 15 dropped by Hegg - 106 for 4 in the 33rd over - Pietersen 28*
• Shafayat 15 dropped by Hooper (1st slip) - 107 for 4 in the 34th over - Pietersen 30*
• Pietersen bowled Chapple 37 - 116 for 5 in the 38th over - Shafayat 16*
• Lunch - 117 for 5 from 39 overs - over rate minus 1 - Lead by 274
• Chilton claims catch at 2nd slip but ball did not carry - 136 for 5 in the 44th over
• 145 for 5 in the 47th over - Lead by 302
• 151 for 5 in the 47th over - Patel 25* Shafayat 26*
• Shafayat caught Hegg bowled Chapple 26 - 151 for 6 in the 48th over - Patel 25*
• 200 for 6 in the 59th over - Patel 46* Franks 24*
• 50 partnership - 201 for 6 in the 59th over - Patel 46* Franks 25* - Lead by 358
• Franks 25 dropped caught & bowled chance to Chapple - 201 for 6 in the 60th over
• 50 Patel from 74 balls (6 x 4 & 2 x 6) - 217 for 6 in the 63rd over - Franks 35*
• Chapple stops bowling for the first time after 31 consecutive overs
• Patel caught Law bowled Hogg 55 - 228 for 7 in the 66th over - Franks 43*
• 53 Franks from 69 balls (9 x 4) - 239 for 7 in the 70th over - Smith 1*
• 253 for 7 in the 73rd over - Franks 60* Smith 7*
• Smith caught Law bowled Sutcliffe (1st slip) 9 - 264 for 8 in the 76th over - Franks 69*
• Tea - 282 for 8 from 80 overs - Franks 78* MacGill 5* - Lead by 439 - over rate +3
• 301 for 8 in the 83rd over - Franks 83* MacGill 15*
• 100 Franks from 112 balls (12 x 4 & 2 x 6) - 319 for 8 in the 84th over - MacGill 16* -
• Nottinghamshire declare with a lead of 476 - Franks 100* MacGill 16*

• Lancashire set 477 to win from a minimum 120 overs - innings starts at 4.28pm
• 6 for 0 from 3 overs - Chilton 3* Sutcliffe 1* - Bad light stop play
• No further play - require 471 to win from 96 overs minimum

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Neil Adams http://www.cricketimages.co.uk/adams-report/intro.html)