MULLANEY CASHES IN

Chris Read had a double cause for celebration on the second day of Nottinghamshire’s first class friendly against Durham MCCU at Trent Bridge.

The Notts’ captain took his 700^th first class catch for the county during the morning session then went on to score 80 with the bat as his side reached 402-9 declared in their second innings, an overall lead of 662.

Steven Mullaney also had cause to remember the day, registering his second century for Nottinghamshire, whilst there were also half-centuries for Paul Franks and Ben Phillips.

Franks joined Mullaney at the crease and the pair continued the tempo throughout the afternoon session.

There was just sufficient time for the students to begin their second innings and they were 4-0 at stumps, having lost their last six wickets for just 35 earlier in the day as their first innings closed on 142.

The sixth over of the day saw the end of the 66-run overnight partnership between Luke Patel (28) and Chaitanya Bishnoi as the students were reduced to 107-4.

Harry Gurney, from the Radcliffe Road End, extracted sufficient bounce and movement to catch a thin edge on Patel’s bat and Chris Read took his fourth catch of the innings, three of them from the bowling of the left-armer.

The new batsman, Ollie Steele (0), only lasted for six deliveries before falling lbw to Paul Franks’ nagging consistency.

Nat Watkins (10) fell to a stunning piece of fielding from Graeme White and Freddie van den Bergh (1) followed almost immediately.

Defending against the spin of the recently-introduced Patel, he edged to give Read his 700^th first class catch for Nottinghamshire – and fifth of the innings.

Bishnoi (54) carved Ajmal Shahzad through the off side to bring up his fifty (116 balls, 9x4) but then shouldered arms to the same bowler and lost his off stump.

Shahzad wasted no time in repeating his accuracy by clean bowling Charlie Wallis (1) in his next over. With Rory Cox injured and unable to bat, the innings was closed at 142, with Ross Willett 0 not out.

With a first innings lead of 254 Notts decided to bat again, with Read opening the innings alongside James Taylor.

Seemingly in a hurry, Read scored 30 runs inside the first three overs, with five fours and a six over midwicket.

After just 6.3 overs the two batsmen brought the team fifty up, with the Notts skipper leading the way with 37 of them.

As the opening session drew to a close Taylor (14) was given out lbw by umpire Gough, from the bowling of Wallis.

Read’s aggressive approach continued as he moved on to his first half century of the summer (35 balls, 9x4, 1x6).

The first ball after lunch saw Mullaney clip Willett away for his first boundary and he immediately followed it up with a repeat shot to move into double figures.

As in the first innings the total had advanced beyond a hundred before the first extra was awarded – a bye to take the total on to 113.

Read (80) had played a risk-free innings and seemed on course for a certain hundred but then picked out Luke Patel on the midwicket boundary, off the spin of van den Bergh.

Franks joined Mullaney at the crease and the pair continued the tempo throughout the afternoon session.

Mullaney had some previous memories to fall back on, against Durham University sides – all of his initial three first class appearances – all for Lancashire – were at the Racecourse Ground in Durham, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The second of them brought him a score of 165 not out, his only other first class century apart from the ton against Hants on his Notts debut.

In 60 innings since that knock at the Rose Bowl, Mullaney had twice been dismissed in the 90s without going on to reach three figures again. That statistic was amended as a helpful misfield in the covers allowed him to take the single to bring up his hundred (83 balls, 13x4, 1x6).

Franks also had reason to recall his last match against the same opposition – his 114 in the north east in 2010 provided his fourth – and most recent – first class hundred.

A six into the New Stand and a strong, straight-driven four took him into the forties and brought up the century partnership from 121 balls.

Mullaney (103) then departed. Going for his shots, he skied to Patel on the cover fence off Watkins.

Shahzad joined Franks and got off the mark as the 500 lead came up. The left-hander’s 50 duly arrived (88 balls, 5x4, 1x6) and he then played a succession of attacking shots before being caught in the deep by Willett off Bishnoi for 66.

Notts resumed after tea on 278-4 but soon lost Shahzad (16), bowled by Wallis. Ben Phillips relished the chance to have a bat, clubbing Luke Patel back over his head for six to take the total beyond 300.

Phillips and Graeme White (23) added 64 runs for the fifth wicket before the latter just failed to clear Jones at mid on, off van den Bergh.

Jake Ball scored four on his only previous first class appearance and he matched that by guiding Willett down to the third man fence and then followed it by repeating the dose from the next delivery. He made 15 before picking out Bishnoi at midwicket off Watkins. The fielder then took another catch, Harry Gurney (1), off van den Bergh.

With Phillips on 49, Samit Patel returned to the scene of his career best score on the opening day and he hit his first delivery for four.

Phillip’s milestone arrived (72 balls, 4x4, 1x6), freeing Patel (18) to play a few shots and he propelled his 13^th and 14^th sixes of the match before giving a boundary catch off van den Bergh, leaving his partner undefeated on 53 when the declaration came.

Notts largest ever runs victory, a margin of 330, has stood since 1904 when they beat Derbyshire at Chesterfield but that may be expunged from the record books on the final day.