NOTTS HAVE TO SETTLE FOR A DRAW AGAINST STUBBORN GLAMORGAN

Nottinghamshire were held at bay as the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Cardiff ended in a draw.

The home county had been 261 behind on first innings but battled bravely through 171 overs in their second innings before closing on 420 for five declared, when the game was called off just before the final hour.

Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke were the heroes for Glamorgan, putting on an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 226 together.

Ingram finished on 155 not out, his highest score for the county, after batting for seven minutes short of 10 hours.

Cooke made an unbeaten 113, as their partnership spanned 83.1 overs. It was an Herculean effort to frustrate Notts for almost a 24 hour period, a performance that earned lavish praise from Peter Moores.

“They both played really well actually,” said the Head Coach. “They’ll look back on that as one of the great partnerships.

“It was a very tough pitch because it lost all of its pace, which made it difficult for the lads to bowl and get wickets but I thought we stuck to our task really well.

“I can’t really remember before seeing just two wickets go down in five full sessions, so it was tough but every credit to their batsmen. I’ve told the lads this is a game that you’ll never forget, even though you might want to.”

Steven Mullaney again looked after things in the field for Notts, with Chris Read nursing his bruised hip.

He said, “From my point of view my bolwers gave it everything for 240 overs back-to-back and that was an outstanding effort.

“All credit to Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke, they did very well but I thought we had no luck.

“Samit Patel was outstanding, I can’t remember seeing him bowl any better but he had no luck at all.

“We’ve set a goal this year of being up for every session and it was no different today. We walk away with 12 points and are still top of the league, so we can’t complain.”

Beginning the day on 212 for five, a deficit of 49, Glamorgan’s sole aim at the start of play was to ease their way back into the same resolute frame of mind as they finished the third day in.

Ingram, who had already batted for around five hours, resumed on a chanceless 72, alongside Cooke, who had eight.

Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney opened with the ball, before giving way to five other bowlers during a barren morning session.

Ingram only appeared in any trouble once he’d entered the 90s, twice heaving and missing at Patel and then on 99 the ball almost rolled back onto his stumps.

His century – the 14^th of his career – arrived just before the lunch break and was achieved from the first ball that Jake Libby, the seventh bowler to be used, sent down. The South African’s hundred had come from a marathon 294 balls, with just nine fours.

Cooke moved to 50 in the next over, bringing up the landmark from 127 balls, with eight boundaries and a pulled six.

By that stage the stand had moved into three figures and the first innings deficit of 261 had been wiped about.

Glamorgan had a slender advantage going into the afternoon session but neither batsman was particularly untroubled, despite the Nottinghamshire attack giving of their all.

There were two interruptions in play, with Cooke needing treatment and a change of helmet after being felled by Gurney on 63 and then the ground-staff were then summoned to repair footmarks after Broad nearly slipped over when bowling.

Paul Franks, Nottinghamshire’s 38-year old assistant head coach, spent several periods on the field as a second substitute but whatever acting captain Steven Mullaney tried – including three overs of part-time leg spin from Cheteshwar Pujara, his eighth different bowler – came to nought.

Batting through two complete sessions, Ingram (139*) and Cooke (99*) walked off at tea with Glamorgan 122 ahead and 34 overs remaining.

Cooke’s hundred arrived in the first over of the final session, a monumental effort from 228 balls faced, with 15 fours and a six. Notts took the second new ball and again gave it everything until they knew the clock – as well as the stubbornness of the two batsmen – was beating them.

Michael Lumb became the ninth bowler to be used when sent down a couple of overs, his first for the county since 2012, before the handshakes arrived at ten to five.