Notts v Sussex: Day 2 (From The Argus)

Notts v Sussex: Day 2

10:30am Thursday 24th September 2009 in

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WICKET: Notts 4-1 (0.4)

Collymore traps Shafayat lbw with his third ball. Cook eventually gives him out after more lengthy deliberation. And now they have gone off for bad light. I bet Shafayat is pleased. Notts lead by 89 and I think that will be it for the day.

WICKET: Sussex 243 all out (75.1)

Sussex are down. Chawla came down the pitch to hit Patel over the top, missed, and was easily stumped. Grace Road here we come! Last six wickets have gone for 41 in 25 overs. Pretty pathetic really.

WICKET: Sussex 243-9 (74.3)

Collymore bowled by a nip-backer from Adams for 9. Chawla 16 and last man Lewry plodding rather than striding purposefully out to the middle. The end is nigh.

Sussex 238-8 (72.1)

A few defiant blows from Chawla who is 12 while Collymore is 12. All looks like futile resistance but you never know... those "transfer" rumours seem to have created a lot of debate here and on the Sussex messageboard. They are just that. The reality is that Sussex won't lose anyone this winter, with the possible exception of Tom Smith who i spoke to last week. He's had a few offers and is keeping his options open. So don't fret out there. There's some grieving for Sussex's first division status to do first.

WICKET: Sussex 218-8 (66.1)

Two in two and guess what, big Dwayne's just been caught on the mid-wicket boundary. He made 5 and that's six wickets for 61 now in 18 overs. Sussex are heading for the second division unless the last two wickets can get them to 300.

WICKET: Sussex 218-7 (66)

Nash goes for 135 thanks to clever thinking by Ali Brown. Anticipating Nash's reverse-lap off Patel, he ran from slip to leg slip to take the catch off a top edge. Great innings by Nash but a lone hand I'm afraid. He faced 196 balls and hit 22 fours. Smith is 5 and Chawla is with him now.

WICKET: Sussex 208-6 (63)

RMJ wafts at a ball well outside off stump and going wider and Read snaffles it up. He's gone for 1 and Sussex have lost 4 for 51 now in 14 overs. If they don't get to 300 they will be down regardless of what happens elsewhere. Nash is 130 and Dwayne Smith has joined him. Sussex's first division status could be ended by the close tonight.

WICKET: Sussex 202-5 (61)

Hodd bowled through the gate by Adams for 12. Pushed forward and turned round to see middle pole out of the ground. Nash 125 but the Fat Lady has just turned up and will soon start to clear her pipes...

TEA: Sussex 165-4 (53)

Nash tucks a ball on leg and middle down to long leg for a single and reaches his fourth hundred of the season and sixth of his career. He's been the bright spot of Sussex's batting this season and should get 1,200 runs. Well done Nashy. It's taken him 157 balls and he's hit 17 fours. Good effort considering it's come out of a score of 165.

Afternoon da da da da... only tasty transfer rumours I can offer concern players leaving Sussex not staying. Among the other things I have heard in recent weeks: Ben Brown to Hampshire; Tom Smith to Worcestershire; Just about everyone else to Surrey. Coming in: how about Chris Tremlett from Hants. Slightly more substance to that now I suppose that they have signed Kabir Ali. But will he want to play in the second division? All speculation of course, nothing else.

WICKET: Sussex 161-4 (49.1)

Patel has just come on to bowl his whimsical left-arm spin and RHB is gone for 1, padding up and given out lbw after long consideration by umpire Nick Cook. That's a blow. Nash is 97 not out and Andy Hodd is the new batsman. One more batting collapse to come this season?

WICKET: Sussex 150-3 (48.1)

Goodwin's miserable summer (Taunton excepted) is ending on a suitably sombre note. He's just slapped a short and wide offering from Shreck straight to Patel at deepish point and has gone for 20. Nash is 93. According to one press-box colleague who is well connected at the Oval Surrey want Nash as their next captain and RHB is going back there too. If there had been a club cat at Hove he would have been linked with Surrey in the last few weeks. Only four players are out of contract now with Liddle and Collymore signing new one-year deals this week. I've written about it in tomorrow's paper if you're interested.

Sussex 120-2 (39)

WICKET: Sussex 104-2 (37) Really good bowling since lunch by Fletcher and Ealham who has just had Nash dropped on 61. Nash flashed outside off and Read dived in front of slip but the ball went to ground. Would have been a comfy catch for Brown at slip that. He is 74 and Goodwin 8.

Just seen that 1,261 people logged on yesterday for updates on this game. Thanks for your patronage ladies and gentlemen. Glad to know that all this waffling is being appreciated by Sussex supporters.

WICKET: Sussex 104-2 (36)

Decent spell by Fletcher has brought further reward as Gatting goes for 12. He'd looked pretty good out there on a pitch the like of which he won't have encountered too often but he has just been caught at third slip by Andre Adams playing a forcing shot off the front foot. Out for 12. Nash is 65 and Goodwin has just driven Fletch through the off side for a boundary to get off the mark. Elsewhere, Yorkshire need three points when they bat to secure division one cricket next season. Hampshire are already safe and Lancashire need three more to send Sussex down. They are 226-4 in the 78th over. Unlikely they can get to 350 before 120 overs are up but they are obviously in a very good position now to win the game. Sussex's fate could be sealed tomorrow.

WICKET: Sussex 74-1 (24.5)

Third over after lunch and Yardy goes for 21. Good line by Fletcher, who has switched to the Radcliffe Road end, and Yardy prods without a lot of certainty outside off and gives Read an easy catch. Shame for Yards who is on 998 Champo runs for the season with one innings to go. Nash is 49 and has been joined by Joe Gatting.

LUNCH: Sussex 61-0 (22)

Nash 36, Yardy 21 at the interval. Good morning for Lancs as well. They have secured a fourth bonus point and are 203-4. Hants 321-7 at Headingley. It's not looking good.

Sussex 53-0 (14)

Double bowling change sees Adams replace Fletcher and Ealham, in the last game of his career before he takes up a coaching job at a school in Canterbury, on for Shreck. Ealham starts with a maiden and got a generous ovation when his name was announced. Seems to be quite a few Sussex supporters here today and they are enjoying this decent opening stand. Nash is 32 and Yardy 18 and needs nine more for 1,000 Championship runs this season. The bad news is that Hampshire have reached 300 at Headingley which means Sussex cannot catch them now.

Sussex 29-0 (6.4)

Positive response so far from Nash and Yardy. There have been a few edges through the third-fourth slip region as well and Shreck has beaten the bat a few times but Yardy has just leant into a lovely off drive that has sped across this quick outfield for four. Top shot that. He is 11 and Nash 16. Fletcher about to bowl his fourth over from the pavilion end. Lancs 162-4 at OT which means they now lead Warwicks by 14 runs. That's not good news. Hampshire need 13 more runs to get a third batting point which would ensure their safety. Not good news either!

Thanks for the comments gents. Yardy is okay to bat and fielded this morning. Just a badly bruised shin and because it's an external injury he doesn't have to bat down the order. Lewry hurt his knee again after three overs yesterday, hence his limited involvement. He was in the field this morning. Haven't seen the Gary Kirsten stuff and I don't suppose Robbo has either. Imagine he's got a bit more to think about at the moment. By all accounts he had a cob-on at tea with the players yesterday, felt they were feeling sorry for themselves during the second session. Hull getting gubbed 4-0 last night won't have improved his mood either. It will if Sussex are still batting at lunch tomorrow on 500-7 (we can only hope).

NOTTS 328 all out (105)

Smith bowls Shreck for a duck, uprooting two stumps and almost leg as well. He finished with 3-73 and Chawla had 3-62. Fletcher was 19 not out. There was some new-ball bounce for Collymore and Smith so Sussex's openers face a testing time early on.

WICKET: Notts 316-9 (101.5)

New ball does the trick as Collymore thuds it into Read's pads and he is palpably lbw for a fine 86, made from 149 balls with 12 fours and a six. New batsman is Charlie Shreck.

Notts 316-8 (101)

Five overs with the old ball failed to produce the breakthrough although Fletcher should have gone on 1 when he edged to RHB's right at second slip but the chance was dropped. Collymore the unlucky bowler. Since then Read has moved to 86 and Fletcher 9 and a familiar theme is again developing here with Sussex struggling to finish a team off. This stand is now worth 36 and the new ball has been taken by Collymore.

Good morning everyone and welcome to Trent Bridge for the second day of Sussex's Championship game against Notts.

It's a glorious autumn day here and Notts are about to resume on 298-8 under a cloudless sky. Chris Read is 78 and Luke Fletcher get to score. Needless to say Sussex need to finish this innings off quickly.

Coach Mark Robinson reckons today will be the best day for batting. Sussex need to get a decent lead if they can because Chawla should be able to apply some pressure later in the game on a pitch which has offered some slow turn so far.

Don't forget to keep me amused with your comments and observations today and I will of course keep you up to date with events in the games at OT and Headingley.