Just 15.4 overs of play were possible on the second day of Nottinghamshire’s LV= County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton.
Play was condensed into a fifty minute session in mid-afternoon and a further twenty minutes were possible later in the day, as Notts advanced their first innings score to 48-3.
All in all, it was extremely frustrating, as explained by coach Wayne Noon.
“It sums this summer up really,” he said. “We get on the field yesterday, lose a crucial toss and lose a wicket to the last ball of the day. Then we rock up today and get in just a few overs whilst they are playing everywhere else and picking up bonus points. It’s really frustrating at the moment.”
The overhead conditions have certainly favoured the bowlers in the short amount of cricket played so far. “They have,” reflected Noon. “We’ve done quite well to lose only three wickets by this stage. I’d have loved to have seen Andre (Adams) bowl on there and I guess he’ll get his chance at some stage tomorrow.”
Looking ahead, Noon expects both sides to still be looking for a positive result. “There are still two days to go and you’d think we might have to negotiate a result here but we think there’s enough in this pitch, so regardless of how many we get, we are confident of bowling them out and we’ll just have to see how much time is left in the game then.
“As far as we are concerned we’ve got to battle hard and get as many as we can but when we get the ball in our hand I can’t see the wicket changing at all tomorrow. Even if the sun comes out there’s still plenty in this pitch. It’s still seaming around quite a bit and we’ll see where we are tomorrow night.”
The overnight rain had put paid to any prospects of play during the morning session and the lengthy mopping up operation allowed for a start in mid-afternoon.
Notts resumed from their first day score of 18-1, with new batsman Michael Lumb joining the not out Alex Hales at the crease.
Lumb punched his second delivery, from Trego, away through the covers to get off the mark in a confident manner. He followed it up with three more boundaries in reaching 16 but then fell to a leg before wicket decision, as umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy adjudicated in favour of the bowler, Alfonso Thomas.
In ideal swinging conditions Thomas had been preferred to Steve Kirby, who opened the bowling on the first evening, and looked to be looping the ball around at will from the Old Pavilion End.
James Taylor arrived in the middle after receiving a great ovation from the County Ground spectators, many of them having travelled down from the East Midlands to support Notts.
The newest England Test player was obviously keen to make an impression – but almost too keen.
He helped his first delivery away on the on-side and set off. Hales responded to the call, before an immediate cry of ‘no’ from his partner made him turn and dive for his ground as Abdur Rehman threw down the stumps. Hales was just home.
The reprieve was short-lived, sadly. On 12 the opener was drawn into a lovely away-swinger from Thomas and presented Trescothick with a throat-high catch – his second of the innings.
Only ten further deliveries – which failed to produce any more runs – were bowled before the rains returned, forcing the players off for an early tea.
Almost two and a half further hours were lost before a resumption late in the day. Adam Voges and James Taylor survived a difficult twenty minute spell together before the next shower proved terminal.