Nottinghamshire face Middlesex at Trent Bridge for the first time since 2007in this week’s LV= County Championship fixture.
The two county sides have met on 108 previous occasions in Nottinghamshore, with all but one of them taking place at Trent Bridge – the 1970 fixture was played at Elm Avenue, Newark, with the visitors winning by 61 runs after centuries from Peter Parfitt and Eric Russell.
Perhaps unusually, the away team have had the better of things over the years, with Middlesex boasting a 33-24 winning advantage, with the other 51 matches ending in draws.
"Kevin Pietersen's 254 for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex was the highest score of his career."
Nottinghamshire’s relatively poor record is undoubtedly due to them going without a single victory between 1934 and 1955.
In fact, since that 1934 success, Notts have only beaten Middlesex at home on eight occasions.
The most recent of those was in 2006 when Charlie Shreck produced his career-best figures of 8-31 as Middx were bowled out for just 49 in their second innings, to lose by an innings and 33 runs.
That was the second time in five years that a sensational bowling performance had contributed to a Notts win in this series of fixtures. In 2002 Stuart MacGill took 14 wickets in the match (6-54 & 8-111) in a contest that began with Kevin Pietersen making the highest score of his career to date, an unbeaten 254.
Middlesex’s chief resistance in that game came from Andrew Strauss, who made 110. The England captain, expected to play this week, also compiled a score of 120 in the 2007 fixture.
Owais Shah has also registered a couple of centuries in recent years, making tons in both 2001 and 2005.
Since the Millennium each side has won twice at Trent Bridge, with the other three matches being drawn.
Apart from Pietersen’s innings in 2002, four other Nottinghamshire batsmen have registered double-hundreds against Middlesex in Nottingham, Arthur Shrewsbury (267 in 1887), Charlie Harris (234 in 1933), Joe Hardstaff jnr (243 in 1937) and Derek Randall, who followed his first innings score of 209 in 1979 with an innings of 146, second time around, the only instance of a Notts batsman scoring centuries in both innings against the London side.
A significant number of players have represented both counties over the years, amongst them, Mike Harris , Bob White, Harry Latchman, Lance Klusener, Dirk Nannes, Scott Newman and Stephen Fleming, who scored 151 for Middx in the 2001 draw here, before moving north to join the Trent Bridge side four years later.
The most recent Nottinghamshire debutant in the home series of matches was 16-year old Bilal Shafayat, who made 72 and 24 in 2001.
Nottinghamshire’s highest-ever individual score came against Middlesex, when Walter Keeton made an undefeated 312 in 1939, in a match played at The Oval.
The last first class hat-trick taken by a Nottinghamshire bowler also came against Middlesex, when Charlie Shreck dismissed Ed Smith, Eoin Morgan and Paul Weekes at Lord’s in 2006.
Milestones to look out for this week include: Graeme Swann (648 first class wickets) and Chris Read (694 first class dismissals for Notts).
Notts remain unbeaten after five Championship matches and lie in second place in the table, four points behind Warwickshire. Middlesex lie third, having won two of their four matches, and are currently 18 points behind Notts.
Clarke's Meadow & The Calypso Kings
Dave Bracegirdle is a broadcaster, sports writer and author who provides ball-by-ball commentary of all of Nottinghamshire's LV= County Championship matches.
His new book, Clarke’s Meadow & The Calypso Kings, looks at how the West Indies have managed to keep intact a proud record of never having lost a first class fixtureat Trent Bridge and profiles the players who have enjoyed themselves as members of the county club.
Probably more than any other ground outside the Caribbean, Trent Bridge has become synonymous with West Indian success and a long unbeaten run in first class matches, a statistic that will next be tested during the Investec Test Match later this month.
Click here to order your copy.
England v West Indies - Investec Test at Trent Bridge
England face West Indies in an Investec Test Match at Trent Bridge from Friday 25 May - Tuesday 29 May. Adult tickets cost £35-£50, all under 21s tickets cost £20, under 16s tickets cost £10 (£8 for day four) and family tickets cost £80 (2 adults, 2 under 16s).
Click here to buy tickets using our secure online payment system or call 0844 8118711.
England v West Indies - Natwest International Twenty20 at Trent Bridge
England face West Indies in a Natwest International Twenty20 at Trent Bridge at 2.30pm on Sunday 24 June. Adult tickets cost £25-£45, all under 21s tickets cost £20, under 16s tickets cost £10 and family tickets cost £60 (2 adults, 2 under 16s).
Click here to buy tickets using our secure online payment system or call 0844 8118711.
To book hospitality for either fixture, call 0844 8118712.
Read our exclusive West Indies Edition of Covered Magazine here.
International Hospitality At Trent Bridge
In 2012, England will play three matches at Trent Bridge and our hospitality guests will have the best seats in the house. Limited capacity remains for all days of play with shared facilities and private boxes ready to host you and your guests. Click here for details and pricing.