After the four week hurly-burly of the Friends Life t20 competition, it’s back to championship cricket for Nottinghamshire this week. They begin the second half of their season with a match against Middlesex at Uxbridge.
The two counties played out a drawn contest at Trent Bridge in May, with Michael Lumb scorings 162 in Notts’ first innings and Ollie Raynor responding with a career-best undefeated 143 for the visitors.
Middlesex, last season’s Second Division winners, have adjusted well to life in the top flight and lie fourth in the table after eight matches, just twelve points behind leaders, Notts.
All four of Middlesex’s home matches played so far have been staged at Lord’s but with their headquarters being readied for the Olympic Games archery event this week they host the match at one of their scenic outgrounds.
Situated just inside the M25 orbital, Uxbridge Cricket Club has staged first class cricket since 1980 with Notts appearing there a year later.
That 1981 clash was frequently interrupted by bad weather and ended in a draw, with Clive Rice’s unbeaten 117 being the first senior century to be scored on the ground.
The Middlesex side for that match featured eleven Test players, nine of them English, plus fast-bowling duo, Wayne Daniel from West Indies and Australia ace Jeff Thomson.
Nottinghamshire’s only other appearances at Uxbridge have been in the Nat West Trophy, winning by 60 runs in 1987 but losing in a second round match two years later.
Batsmen have often encountered friendly conditions at Uxbridge with three double-centuries having been registered there. Kent’s Darren Stevens hit 208 not out in 2009, with Desmond Haynes and Clive Radley also passing the milestone for the home side.
The best bowling performance on the ground was achieved by Lancashire’s Peter Martin, who claimed figures of 8-32 in a 1997 victory.
Middlesex played their final t20 match of this year’s competition there on Sunday and were defeated by Kent in a low-scoring contest, although neither side were in a position to qualify for the quarter finals.
Among the handful of players to have represented both Nottinghamshire and Middlesex over the years are Mike Harris, Bob White, Harry Latchman, Lance Klusener, Stephen Fleming, Scott Newman and Dirk Nannes.
Nottinghamshire’s highest-ever individual score came against Middlesex, when Walter Keeton made an undefeated 312 in 1939, in a match played at The Oval.
The last first class hat-trick taken by a Nottinghamshire bowler came against Middlesex, when Charlie Shreck dismissed Ed Smith, Eoin Morgan and Paul Weekes at Lord’s in 2006.
Nottinghamshire milestones to look out for this week include: Michael Lumb (7948 first class runs), Samit Patel (5937 runs and 147 first class wickets).
Dave Bracegirdle provides ball-by-ball commentary on all of Nottinghamshire's LV= County Championship matches on behalf of BBC Radio Nottingham