County Championship: Nottinghamshire close on win against Worcestershire

Nottinghamshire advanced to the threshold of a vital County Championship victory over Worcestershire on a heavily rain-affected third day at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

The visitors’ seam attack excelled for the second time in the match as the home side followed their first innings 182 all out with 160. Lyndon James took 5-35, passing 100 first-class wickets in the process, and Josh Tongue added 4-52 (7-111 in the match).

That left Nottinghamshire needing just 136 for victory and they reached 40-1 among the showers before yet more rain lopped off the last 21 overs. On a seamer-friendly pitch, the small target is no formality, but Haseeb Hameed’s side should, weather permitting, close out the win on the final day.

Nottinghamshire made the prompt start they wanted on the third day as the weather allowed play to begin on time, but they were kept waiting for a breakthrough. Gareth Roderick and Ethan Brookes extended their partnership for another 56 minutes.

The sixth-wicket pair added 52 in 26 overs before the impressive James struck with successive balls. Brookes drove a wide delivery straight to cover where substitute fielder Joe Pocklington (on for Mohammad Abbas who had suffered a bask spasm) took a smart catch. Matthew Waite was pinned lbw.

Tom Taylor survived the hat-trick ball, but seven overs later endured a candidate for most aggravating minute of the season. A short ball from Dillon Pennington rose only knee high to torpedo the batter lbw. Taylor then watched in angst as rain arrived immediately and everyone else followed him back to the pavilion.

To Nottinghamshire’s delight, the rain cleared to allow play after an early lunch and they quickly polished off the innings.

Tongue had Ben Allison caught at first slip, and James completed his third first-class five-for by hitting Khurram Shahzad’s off-stump. Roderick was left unbeaten on 37 from 116 balls.

When Nottinghamshire launched their pursuit of their small but ticklish chase, Worcestershire made the perfect start. Taylor bowled Hameed for the second time in the match to leave Nottinghamshire’s captain with a pair against the Pears.

Rain soon returned and in the fragments of play which followed, Ben Slater and Freddie McCann, the latter playing with considerable panache in the gloom, avoided further mishap to advance their side to within touching distance of a potentially momentous victory.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay