Rain has blighted the first week of the county championship with New Road having its first wash out for 9 years, Ben Ducket was left just short of a triple hundred against a Sussex attack that has conceded almost 800 runs in its two outings and two blank days at The Riverside saved Somerset from a fairly hopeless position. Yorkshire might well reflect it was a good week to be without a championship match.
There were however some exceptions to the wet weather, none more so than at Costa Trent Bridge (left) from where the blog is reporting, for the second time already this season, cricket played in lovely sunshine. Having decided that play was unlikely at both The Riverside and Headingley I made a late decision on Wednesday morning to take the train to Nottingham where the game was interestingly poised and a reasonably full day's play possible as long as Surrey did not collapse in the morning session. Harinath and Curran(S) made reasonable progress against excellent bowling from Bird and Ball and Surrey's lead was over 120 before Ball made the breakthrough when Curran fell lbw, the first of three such dismissals in the morning session. The other Curran (T) may consider himself lucky if he escapes a charge of dissent after remaining at the crease so long after umpire Robinson had given him out, same dismissal as his brother, this time to Gurney.
Surrey's resistance ended just five minutes before lunch (chicken and leek pie) which set Notts a target of 169 with plenty of overs in which to get them. Mullaney and Smith set off as though the job had to be sorted before tea and had 72 on the board before the former, who had made a hundred in the first innings, fell to Rampaul just a few balls after he had swotted him over midwicket for six. Curran was switched to the pavilion end where he extracted some lift from a pitch that had given up over 1100 runs since Sunday. The one that accounted for Brendan Taylor being particularly nasty. When three, four and five went for just two runs the Notts County supporters sitting near me, seasoned grumblers, awoke from the reverie induced by the Magpies' victory over Hartlepool on Tuesday evening to resume normal service and foresaw a Surrey victory. When Patel who had used up a season's luck in reaching six played a dreadful waft to be caught at slip even the most optimistic supporters became anxious.
Reed and Greg Smith saw them through to tea after which the opener became the third victim to be entered in the book as ct Foakes b TK Curran. and when Read fell to the persevering Rampaul 17 were still needed but Hutton and Ball kept their nerve and shortly after five o'clock a four from Ball, who had taken five wickets in the second innings, gave Notts the win and a maximum haul of 24 points. It is understood that the Notts' dressing room, on hearing the very distressing news about James Taylor pledged to win a trophy in his name. They've made a good start
Oddschecker shows Yorkshire as favourites at 7/4 to retain their title with Notts at 5/2 second favourites to challenge them. The Bears are third at 7/1. Notts travel to Old Trafford on Sunday where the hosts are among a group of three teams, Hampshire and Somerset are the others, least favoured at 20/1. Essex, joint favourites with Sussex at 5/2 to gain the one promotion spot available were the only other team to win this week and 23 points sees them off to a good start, especially as likely rivals Worcestershire get only five points from their four blank days.
The wet weather has had a profound effect on tomorrow's league cricket with the Aire-Wharfe, Wetherby, Nidderdale and Bradford leagues postponing all matches. This may not be the full list and even in leagues where the programme may go ahead there are bound to be individual matches abandoned. Please check before travelling. BBC forecast for Leeds on Sunday is quite good. I'll be there, will you?
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