Despite having to struggle against the elements for the most part, the players of both Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire managed to get in some useful match practice ahead of the LV= County Championship season.
No fewer than four interruptions bit into the scheduled allocation of overs as the wind and rain played its part on the final day of their pre-season friendly at Trent Bridge.
Northants batted on from their overnight 42 for one during the morning session, eventually reaching 195 for four before declaring, with Stephen Peters making an unbeaten 84.
Jake Ball (two for 30) and Brett Hutton (two for 33) shared the bowling honours by taking the four wickets to fall.
Having scored 312 for one on the opening day, Notts made 186 for two when they batted again during the final 30 overs of the contest.
Riki Wessels, with 55 and Sam Wood, 50, both added their names to the list of batsmen who had retired after reaching fifty.
Play had begun at 10.30am to enable some of the time lost on the first evening to be made up. Northants retired their two overnight batsmen and sent Stephen Peters and Josh Cobb out to bat.
An opening burst from Ball produced two deserved scalps within the space of three deliveries. Cobb was bowled for only 4 and Rob Keogh failed to score before edging into the hands of Wessels at first slip.
Adam Rossington joined Peters and went on the counter-attack, pulling Andy Carter for 6 to the shorter of the two boundaries. He brought up his 50 with another pull, this time off Luke Wood, to reach the milestone from 49 deliveries, with 8 fours to add to his maximum.
Play was interrupted twice during the damp and drizzly closing stages of the morning session but the sun had re-appeared by early afternoon.
Rossington’s first single of the afternoon brought up the century stand between the pair and then Peters reached his own 50, coming from 81 balls with 9 fours.
Strong winds made life difficult for batsmen, bowlers and umpires, with everyone struggling in the gusty conditions.
On several occasions bowlers had to abort their run-ups after being blown off-course. Hutton did manage to battle his way to the crease to thud one into Rossington’s pads to remove him for 54, ending the fourth wicket stand at 120.
Northants declared after the fourth stoppage, leaving Notts to bat for the remaining 30 overs of the day.
Alex Hales’ first involvement in the match produced a flurry of boundaries before he misjudged a delivery from Ben Sanderson and allowed it to clip his unprotected off stump for 27.
Former Notts’ Second Eleven bowler George Bacon, trialing for Northants, claimed the next wicket to fall, that of Chris Read who pushed straight back to the bowler for 4.
Wessels retired having passed 50, reaching the milestone only 34 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes, one of them a huge blow, high over midwicket on the long side of the ground.
Sam Wood played some crisp drives as well as three vigorous pulls for 6 to bring up his own half century from 49 balls before also retiring.
When the handshakes came at 5pm Will Gidman was unbeaten on 29 and Luke Wood had made 13 not out.
Nottinghamshire are next in action on Friday and Saturday when they face Derbyshire in a 2-day pre-season friendly at Trent Bridge. Play starts at 11am each day and admission is free for everyone, with car parking available on the Notts Sports Ground Car Park. The Nottingham Forest Car Park will not be available on either of the two days.
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