Nottinghamshire (131 & 106-2) drew with Warwickshire (291) at Edgbaston.
Left-arm spinning all-rounders are a rare and valuable commodity. Ask any county captain in the land.
In 2019, Nottinghamshire looked to have unearthed one from amongst their Academy graduate ranks in the shape of Liam Patterson-White, as the former Worksop College student helped himself to 20 First-Class wickets at an average of 21.
Call it second season syndrome, put it down to form or lament the global pandemic that shortened the summer – the fact is that he didn’t feature for the first team at all the following year.
With a pre-season haul of 5-51 banked against Warwickshire at Edgbaston today, hopes are springing eternal that 2021 could prove a very different story for the Kimberley Institute man.
The 22-year-old didn’t have things all his own way on day two in the second city. Defending a short boundary and with Tim Bresnan (65) and Henry Brookes (34) on the charge, his initial spell was a trifle expensive.
That said, it did bring the wicket of Craig Miles (11) caught by Joe Clarke at mid-on – by which time the former England Under 19’s international had already shown admirable presence of mind to run in, remove the bails and run out Matthew Lamb for 40.
A simple change of ends proved to be decisive, as the final four wickets fell for the addition of nine runs, all of them to Patterson-White.
Both Bresnan and Brookes were bowled attempting one adventurous shot too many, Liam Norwell was as lbw as lbw can be and the bafflingly flighted, decisively straightening delivery that saw off Vikai Kelley was thoroughly wasted on a number 11.
Notts had a 30-over innings to negotiate to close of play and – with the words of Peter Moores ringing in their ears from the previous day – the top-order did what their Head Coach would have wanted. They set a platform.
While the configuration of this fixture renders their middle-order unable to capitalise this time around, Ben Slater (27), Ben Duckett (11* off 42 balls) and the impeccably fluent Haseeb Hameed (56 off 88 balls) all had reasons to reflect contentedly on their evening’s work with the scoreboard reading 106-2.
Earlier on, Patterson-White had been far from the solitary success story with ball in hand.
When asked how his body had pulled up from the previous day’s ten-over spell, Luke Fletcher issued a reminder that the summer holidays of his youth were routinely spent bowling in the nets all day long.
And following an opening burst from Brett Hutton and Zak Chappell that brought only the run out of Lamb for 40, the Nottinghamshire stalwart found himself charging in once again.
Hameed’s sharp snare at slip saw the back of Robert Yates for 87 as the feeling that Fletcher was bowling himself into form in the nick of time continued to grow.
And with Steven Mullaney’s miserly morning spell rewarded by the wicket of Adam Hose (9), with Hameed executing another expert grab in the cordon, Warwickshire took lunch on 168-4 having added 75-3 during the opening session.
After the interval, it was time for Tom Barber. His left-arm over at searing pace induced a rash cut from Sam Hain (9) and Tom Moores did the rest behind the stumps; 180-5.
Bresnan’s counter-attacking half-century, including a partnership of 50 with Brookes, took the home side to the brink of 300, before the bowling of Patterson-White – and the pristine flowing blade of Hameed – had the final say.
Stream playback, full scorecard and video highlights are available via Trent Bridge Live here…
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Tickets to witness Notts Outlaws’ defence of their Vitality Blast title in 2021 are now on general sale.
