DEFEAT TAKES PROMOTION RACE INTO THE LAST GAME

Nottinghamshire’s promotion hopes remain on hold after they were defeated in their penultimate match of the Specsavers County Championship season.

 

Set to score 314 for victory, Notts were dismissed before lunch on the final day for 189, to lose to Northants by 124 runs.

 

Notts had hoped to leave Wantage Road with sufficient points to have secured a spot in the top tier next season but they now face an away trip against Sussex with work still to do.

 

Head Coach Peter Moores praised the performance of Northants, who remain third in the table but are now just 13 points behind Notts.

 

“Their big players stood up and played well,” said Moores. “We have no complaints, we were up for it and knew what was on the game, so all credit to Northants because they played better than us over the four days.”

 

Although his side have been table-toppers for most of the season Moores explained that nothing had been taken for granted.

 

“It’s always been on our radar that we have to get over the line, so it was never designed to be simple. We’ve played some really good cricket this season and we’ve come across two good sides recently (in Worcs and Northants) and haven’t performed against them.

 

“We’ve now got to get ourselves ready for a game against Sussex. We’ll rest up, travel down and practice at Hove on Sunday.”

 

Moores also had a message for the supporters. “I’ve said all along – and said it at the AGM at the start of the season that we can’t guarantee we will win anything.

 

"What we will guarantee is we will always put eleven blokes on the field who are up for a challenge. We’ll do that and hopefully it will be enough.”

 

After steady rain had wiped out most of the third day Notts resumed their chase under clear blue skies on the final morning. Jake Libby and Cheteshwar Pujara began with Notts still requiring 207 more runs, with seven wickets in hand.

 

The prize of guaranteeing promotion was incentive enough for the visitors and their determination to succeed was clear as the first 16 balls of the day were either defended or left alone.

 

Northants had early shouts against both batsmen. Libby was struck on the pads by Kleinveldt and the hosts thought that Pujara had nicked Buck behind.

 

For around 28 minutes all was well, then two wickets fell in quick succession. Kleinveldt was understandably frustrated when Pujara nicked him through the slips for two, to go to 14, but a repeat from the next ball carried to Richard Levi at second slip.

 

The South African struck in his next over as well, having Libby caught behind by David Murphy for 42.

 

Northants’ twin-strike brought Samit Patel and Riki Wessels out to the middle. A leg side delivery from Buck was tickled fine for four by Wessels and his partner slashed Richard Gleeson’s first ball of the day to the point fence.

 

Ben Sanderson replaced Buck at the Lynn Wilson end and was given an lbw decision against Wessels. The batsman had advanced towards a ball that may have been slipping down the leg side.

 

An hour into the day Notts had moved their score along to 140 for six, with 174 still needed.

 

Tom Moores failed to get off the mark, being pinned lbw by Gleeson and then Northants celebrated the wicket of Patel enthusiastically.

 

The talisman pulled Gleeson high out to the leg side fence, where sub fielder Saif Zaib took a well-judged catch. Patel had made 25 and his departure left the score on 175 for eight.

 

Chris Read edged Buck to slip for 17 and the game was closed out when Brett Hutton was bowled by Gleeson for 12.

 

With one match remaining Worcestershire now top the Division Two table on 216 points, with Notts on 210.