Notts v Sussex: Day 1 (From The Argus)

Notts v Sussex: Day 1

10:31am Wednesday 23rd September 2009 in

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CLOSE: Notts 294-8 (96)

Read is 78 not out and Fletcher 1 not out. Those two late wickets from Chawla have made it a decent day for Sussex. Their fate was never likely to be decided today but by this time tomorrow we should have a clear idea what division they will be playing in next season. Thanks for logging on today. Keep checking the site for reaction and reports and I hope you can join me again tomorrow.

Thanks for your comments today. Interestingly, Mark 62, Sussex have scored more hundreds (17) this season than Durham (16). It's all the 50s, 40s and 30s they haven't got. Take your point about Collymore Bruce in New York but he has been easily their best seam bowler this season. I think he deserves a new deal. As I write...

Notts 293-8

Andre Adams - or Andre Braindead as one press box wag has called him - has just been bowled by Chawla having a big swipe over mid-wicket. Read is 78 not out and there are eight balls left tonight.

WICKET: Notts 281-7 (94)

Second wicket for Chawla as Ealham misses his attempt at a sweep at a full ball and is lbw for 13. Read batting beautifully and is 70 not out with Andre Adams now with him on 3. No new ball yet, RMJ finishing the day off from the Radcliffe Road end while Chawla has 2-51 from 22 overs at the moment.

WICKET: Notts 239-6 (79)

A second point secured as Wagh is bowled by Chawla's leg break for 67 pushing forward. Ends a stand of 76 in 28 overs with Read, who is 46. Mark Ealham, in his final game before retirement, is 1 not out. No word yet on Yardy and no sign either of the new ball. Smith still plugging away. Assume that Goodwin is in charge in Yardy's absence.

Notts 233-5 (75)

Chawla has bowled unchanged since tea from the pavilion end but there isn't a lot in this pitch yet for him. Read and Wagh have now taken their sixth wicket stand to 70 and are on 41 and 67 respectively. Collymore replaced at the Radcliffe Road end by Dwayne Smith and there is still some seam movement, even though the ball is 70 overs old. No sign of Yardy since tea. He took a whack on the ankle fielding at short extra cover while Chawla was bowling. I will investigate dear reader(s). Up at OT Lancs are 93-3 replying to Warwicks 148 while Hampshire have gone on to 152-3 against Yorks.

Tea: Notts 204-5 (64)

Productive session for Sussex with four wickets. Interesting events at OT where Lancs are 44-2 after bowling out Warwicks for 148. Bonus if they were dismissed without getting another point.

Notts 195-5 (59)

Chawla has come on and bowled five overs but this pitch is so unlike the dry, cracked surface he bowled 89 overs on at Hove last week as is possible. A couple of expensive Lewry overs but now Collymore is back at the Radcliffe Road end searching for the wickets he deserves. Wagh 58, Read 16.

WICKET: Notts 163-5 (51.1)

Tucker comes to the party with his second wicket courtesy of a great catch to his left at second slip by Rory Hamilton-Brown. Thick edge which was really travelling as Ali Brown threw the kitchen sink at it. He made 10. Wagh is 42 and Chris Read is with him now. Tea at 3.45pm so we won't lose any overs because of the rain.

WICKET: Notts 138-4 (46.2)

25 minute stoppage but we're back on and Smith gets his second wicket in the first over after the resumption as Patel is leg before missing a straight ball he was trying to work to leg. So that's two wickets in five balls and poor Patel has got a duck on his Champo debut. Ali Brown in now with Wagh, who is 31. Better from Sussex.

WICKET: Notts 137-3 (45.3)

One down, 21 to get! Patel goes for 21, playing back to a ball from RMJ which he nicked onto his off stump. Wagh is 30 not out but it has just started to rain, not heavily, and the covers are being wheeled on. Unfortunately up at OT Lancashire have just picked up their third bowling point with Warwicks now 140-9. Let's hope the Bears' seamers can shoot Lanky out just as cheaply.

Notts 122-2 (41)

Sussex attacking here looking for wickets but anything loose is being despatched. Wagh survived on 19 when he cut to gully where Goodwin had it but then let it fall out of his mitts. Bad drop that, there have been a few of those this season. Not the main reason they are heading into division two but definitely a factor. Wagh now 21 and Samit Patel, who looks heftier than he did at the start of the season, is 15.

WICKET: Notts 86-2 (30.5)

To the fifth ball after lunch, Shafayat plays back to a ball from Smith which bounced more than he anticipated and Yardy took a good slip catch. Out for 45. New batsman is Samit Patel, Wagh is 2. Tony Pigott is the pitch inspector at OT and is apparently taking a keen interest in a surface where six wickets have fallen this morning. Go on Lester! Do 'em for a bad pitch.

LUNCH: Notts 86-1 (30)

Shafayat 45, Wagh 2. Sussex have beaten the bat quite regularly this morning but there isn't a lot of pace in this pitch and it has been quite comfortable for the batsmen. Warwicks 64-6 at lunch which means Lancashire only need four more points for safety. No play before lunch at Headingley which is about the only bit of good news so far.

WICKET: Notts 70-1 (24)

Sussex a third of the way to the first of the 22 points they need as Hales is pinned in front by Lewry playing across one that shaped back into him and would have hit middle and leg. He made 33 and featured in Notts' second highest opening stand of the season. Shafayat is 36 and Mark Wagh is the new batsman. Warwicks 44-5 and still nowt at Headingley.

Notts 65-0

Smith about to bowl his second over but Lewry has proved expensive with two boundaries, one straight and the other guided past gully, from Hales in the last over. Shafayat is 36, Hales 28. Bad news from OT where Warwicks have fallen in a heap and are 41-5. One more wicket and they will two of the six points they need to survive and we're not even at lunch on day one. At least Headingley is still enveloped in Stygian gloom - no play there yet.

Notts 41-0 (17.5)

Lewry into the attack after eight excellent overs from Collymore. We might see Dwayne Smith soon but this pitch is playing pretty well. Shafayat 24, Hales 16.

Notts 39-0 (15.1)

Collymore has conceded 17 runs in 7.2 overs so far. Getting some bounce and bowling a very testing length. Morning to all those of you enquiring about Lewry. He is out there fielding at mid off. Colly got wickets here last season when Sussex won and deserves a stick or two here. Quite a few Sussex fans up here for the last rites which is good to see. Most of them heading to New Road on Sunday for the Pro40 finale. Quite a busy press box too for once. All four "heavies" represented but once again The Sport are ignoring county cricket. Disgraceful!

Notts 29-0 (12.2)

Two runs in six overs then Shafayat swatted a short ball from RMJ which sailed over Collymore at fine leg for six. He is 24 and Hales 9. Elsewhere, Warwicks won the toss at OT and are 21-1 against Lancs. No play yet at Headingley because of bad light.

Notts 19-0 (4)

Yardy may have been seduced by this green pitch. An even lusher surface was prepared for the Hampshire game recently which did nothing. It is, though, an attacking move to bowl first and Sussex have got to be positive. Lewry had one over from the pavilion end before being replaced by RMJ. Change of ends we thought. But no, Collymore has just completed his second at the Radcliffe Road end and is struggling to get his line right. A couple down leg side were free helpings for the batsmen. Shafayat 14, Hales 5.

Good morning everyone and welcome to Trent Bridge for our first day coverage of Sussex's Championship match against Nottinghamshire.

The weather here is dry and fairly sunny and the forecast for the next four days is settled.

Well, this is it. Sussex have to win this game, get as many points as they can and hope either Lancashire, Yorkshire or Hampshire fall in a heap. Personally, I can't see how Sussex can extricate themselves from a mess of their own making but you have to be positive. My own hunch is that Sussex will go down either tomorrow or Friday.

Anyway, the TB pitch has more than a tinge of green to it which is why Mike Yardy has inserted Notts after winning the toss.

Ed Joyce has failed to recover from his hip injury so the only change from the side which lost to Yorkshire sees Robin Martin-Jenkins replace Carl Hopkinson with Rory Hamilton-Brown batting at No.5.

Notts: Hales, Shafayat, Wagh, S.Patel, A.Patel, Brown, Read, Ealham, Adams, Fletcher, Shreck.

Sussex: Yardy, Nash, Gatting, Goodwin, Hamilton-Brown, Hodd, Martin-Jenkins, Smith, Chawla, Collymore, Lewry.

Don't forget to keep me entertained with your thoughts. Do you think Sussex have got a chance?

Lewry's just bowled the first ball and Shafayat has creamed it through the covers for four.