After their thrilling draw in this week’s home match against Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire head south for their next fixture in the Specsavers County Championship.
From Sunday 8 May (11am) until Wednesday 11 May they will be in action at Lord’s, where they face Middlesex.
Going into this next round of matches there are only a handful of points separating all nine sides in the First Division table but this is the stand-out fixture this weekend, with top-of the-table Notts coming up against the challenge of third-placed Middlesex, who are only three points adrift.
Head To Head
Nottinghamshire versus Middlesex is one of county cricket’s most established fixtures, having first been played in 1866.
In first-class competition there have been a total of 226 meetings, with the southern county having had the better of things.
Middlesex have won 77 of the fixtures, Notts have been victorious 56 times and with both of last season’s meetings being shared, the number of draws has risen to 91. Two further contests were completely washed out.
Some of the early matches were contested at Islington and Chelsea, whilst in relatively recent times matches have been staged at both Southgate and Uxbridge. Additionally, one of the most noteworthy clashes took place south of the river. The 1939 clash was played at The Oval, because the annual Eton v Harrow fixture had priority status at Lord’s.
The majority of Middlesex’s home fixtures however, have been played at Lord’s, where they will meet for the 106th time this week.
On 43 occasions Middlesex have been triumphant at the Home of Cricket, with the last three victories coming in 1997, 2002 and 2014.
Notts have won 27 times, with their most recent wins coming in 1991, 2000 and 2006, although they won a Southgate match in 1999.
There have also been 34 draws and the two abandonments.
Last Meeting
Nottinghamshire had the better of last season’s fixture, although the eventual outcome was a draw. The sides met for the opening round of games last April and Notts elected to bat first, having won the toss.
Brendan Taylor, having scored a century against Loughborough MCCU the previous week, hit 106 on his championship debut, becoming the first Nottinghamshire batsman in history to begin with hundreds in his first two knocks.
Middlesex trailed by over a 100 on first innings, with Harry Gurney and Samit Patel each taking three wickets, with the home side depleted by the absence of Dawid Malan, hurt in the field.
Chris Read’s century helped Notts declare on 401 for eight, late on the third evening, setting their hosts an improbable 519 to win.
85 from Nick Compton and 72 from former Trent Bridge favourite Adam Voges gave Middlesex hope of survival but they were seven wickets down at the start of the final hour.
Somehow, through grit, determination and no little skill, James Harris and Tim Murtagh survived the final 19 overs of the match, preventing last man Steven Finn and the incapacitated Malan from having to wander out to the middle.
History
The 1927 fixture at Lord’s between Middlesex and Notts was the first ever championship match to have ball-by-ball commentary. Listeners heard Pelham Warner’s description of an opening day that saw Notts make 381, before the home side closed on 44-0. The remaining two days weren’t covered but ended with a ten-wicket success for Nottinghamshire.
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 highest score made by Richard Hadlee during his 342 first-class matches came at Lord’s in 1984 when he reached 210 not out for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex. He had come to the crease with his side in strife, at 17-4, and produced a master-class, from 261 deliveries faced. The New Zealand all-rounder batted for 356 minutes, scoring 24 fours and one six. Turning the game on its head, Notts won by an innings with Kevin Cooper taking career-best figures of 8-44 in Middlesex’s second effort.
South Africa’s Lance Klusener earned a deserved reputation for hard-hitting and quick scoring. Sadly, those qualities weren’t allowed to shine in his first championship appearance for Nottinghamshire in 2002, as he was clean bowled by Middlesex’s Simon Cook for a seven-ball 0 at Lord’s.
Klusener did make 42 in the second innings – and took 1-88 with the ball, although it was his only first-class appearance during a short-term registration.
Russell Warren scored five centuries for Nottinghamshire in 36 first-class matches, with two coming in the same fixture. Against Middlesex at Lord’s in 2003, he made 123 in the first innings and an unbeaten 113 in the second, to become the 19th different player to achieve the feat for the county.
In 2014, ahead of the April fixture, all playing members of the Nottinghamshire side, plus scorer Roger Marshall, were presented with commemorative medallions to celebrate Lord’s 200th anniversary.
Played For Them Both
Possibly the most important innings played by a Nottinghamshire batsman was that achieved by Adam Voges at Old Trafford on 16 September 2010.
With Notts up against a formidable Lancashire attack and facing a race against time – and the odds to reach 400 and gain maximum batting points – the Australian rose to the challenge with a scintillating knock of 126 which ultimately was pivotal in securing the LV= County Championship title.
Voges played a total of 44 first class matches, scoring almost 3,000 runs at an average of 45. He also skippered the Outlaws in T20 cricket. Since leaving Trent Bridge the right-hander has gone on to fulfil all expectations with a weight of Test match runs and is currently number seven in the ICC rankings.
Over the last couple of seasons he has continued to plunder runs for Middlesex and will be hoping to line-up against many of his former team-mates in this match.
James Franklin is also a current member of the Middlesex side, having played briefly in all three formats for Notts in 2014.
Amongst other players to have represented both counties are Harry Latchman, the current Middlesex President, plus players of the calibre of Mike Harris, Bob White, Vernon Philander, Lance Klusener, David Alleyne, Dirk Nannes, Scott Newman and Stephen Fleming.
Stats
Notts v Middx (in all first class matches)
Highest Team Score;
Notts – 642-9dec (Lord’s 2006)
Middx – 621-9dec (Trent Bridge 1931)
Highest Individual Score;
Notts - 312* WW Keeton (Oval 1939)
Middx – 245 WJ Edrich (Lord’s 1938)
Best Bowling;
Notts – 8-31 CE Shreck (Trent Bridge 2006)
Middx – 9-32 JT Hearne (Trent Bridge 1891)
Hat-Tricks;
Notts – JR Gunn (Lord’s 1899), CE Shreck (Lord’s 2006)
Middx – SM Haslip (Trent Bridge 1919)
Nottinghamshire’s highest team score at Lord’s came as recently as 2006, when they racked up 642-9 declared, with 3 centurions in the line-up. Stephen Fleming made 192, Samit Patel 156 and Will Smith 141.
That was the last occasion when Notts won a championship match at Lord’s.
Middlesex’s highest score at Lord’s v Notts came in 1921 when they posted 612-8 declared.
Arthur Shrewsbury’s unbeaten 224 in 1885 is the highest individual score by a Nottinghamshire batsman on the ground and the same player scored 212 there seven years later.
The only other Notts player to score a double hundred at St John’s Wood is Richard Hadlee (above), who made 210 not out in 1984.
Fred Morley’s 8-36 in 1880 are the best figures by a Notts’ bowler at Lord’s.
Nottinghamshire duo, John Gunn in 1899 and Charlie Shreck in 2006, are the only two bowlers to take hat-tricks in the fixtures
Achievements
The following members of the Nottinghamshire squad have all had days to remember at the Home of Cricket:
Chris Read skippered Notts to one-day glory in the 2013 Yorkshire Bank 40 Final.
Michael Lumb has twice played in winning one-day cup final sides at Lord’s.
Alex Hales scored 141 and shared in a county one-day record opening stand of 217 with Michael Lumb in 2014.
Brendan Taylor scored a century last season on his county championship debut.
Greg Smith made his championship debut there for Leicestershire in 2008.
Samit Patel was man of the match when Notts won the Yorkshire Bank 40 Final at Lord’s in 2013.
Riki Wessels scored a blistering 132 from 118 balls, with 12x4 and 7x6, last season.
Steven Mullaney scored a century on his first appearance at the ground in 2013.
Stuart Broad scored 169, his only first class century, for England v Pakistan in 2010.
Harry Gurney took the wicket of Mark Wallace with his very first delivery in the 2013 Yorkshire Bank 40 Final.
Jackson Bird took 3-88 for Hampshire last season on his first appearance at the ground.
Jake Ball picked up 4 wickets in last year’s match, twice dismissing Sam Robson.
Milestones
Nottinghamshire players approaching significant career milestones this week are:
Riki Wessels (8921) needs 79 to reach 9000 runs in first class cricket.
Samit Patel (99) needs one more catch to reach 100 for Notts.
Chris Read (282) will make his 283rd first class appearance for Nottinghamshire this week, equalling Clive Rice’s tally, in joint 34th spot on the county’s all-time list.
Tickets
Adult admission for the first 3 days is £18.00, Over 65s admission is £9.00 and Under 16s can gain access for £5.00. On the fourth day adult admission is £5.00, with everyone else able to gain free admission.
Coverage
For live scorecard, regular written updates & photography throughout the four days - and a live link to the BBC Radio Commentary - Trent Bridge Live is your perfect match day companion.
The excitement of NatWest T20 Blast returns to Trent Bridge on Friday 20 May as Notts Outlaws face Birmingham Bears in the first of seven home matches in the competition.
Supporters can witness every minute of the action with a NatWest T20 Blast Season Ticket, priced at just £84 (adults), £63 (over 65s) or £203 (family 2+2), with Membership available to U16s at £26 and U21s for £36.
Make Trent Bridge a firm fixture for your Friday nights and secure your seats now.