Harry Gurney’s second four wicket haul of the match keep Nottinghamshire in the hunt against Hampshire, despite conceding a first innings deficit of 81.

The home side, hoping to take the match out of Nottinghamshire’s reach, made it to stumps on 189 for eight, an overall lead of 270.

Harry Gurney, who matched his first innings analysis of four for 61, Luke Fletcher, with two for 20 (from 13 overs) and Samit Patel, who took two for 45, shared the wickets.

Earlier Notts had been bowled out for 189, with Riki Wessels making 72. Mason Crane, Hampshire’s 19 year old leg spinner took three for 19 and Ryan McLaren ended with three with 24.

A hand injury to Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read over-shadowed events at The Ageas Bowl, ahead of the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Hampshire.

Read had been struck whilst batting on the second evening and played a minimal part in the day’s events.

In his absence Steven Mullaney assumed the leadership of the side and oversaw a spirited performance in the field as Notts looked to fightback from a first innings deficit of 81.

Dan Christian, making his Nottinghamshire first class debut and replacing the retired hurt Read at the crease, looked, alongside Riki Wessels, to reduce Hampshire’s 171 run lead.

Tino Best bowled a testing spell from the Northern End, clipping Wessels’ helmet with one searing delivery.

Best’s frustrations boiled over when an lbw decision was turned down, with the West Indian kicking the ball furiously as it rolled back towards him.

Christian batted stubbornly for an hour with only five runs to his name but then hit two boundaries in quick succession as he began to take the fight to the bowlers.

That aggressive intent saw him charge towards the leg spin of Crane, but unluckily he chopped on to his stumps to depart for 14.

Wessels reached his second championship 50 of the season, getting there from 132 balls, hitting six of them to the ropes.

Brett Hutton, officially entering the match with Jake Ball withdrawn by the ECB to join up with the England squad ahead of the Test match with Sri Lanka, made eight before falling to Crane.

The all-rounder slapped a long hop to midwicket, where Jimmy Adams pulled off a sharp catch.

Wessels perished in the next over, edging Liam Dawson to Sean Ervine at first slip, ending a spirited innings.

Harry Gurney had some fun at Dawson’s expense, hitting the spinner for consecutive sixes over midwicket, but then Luke Fletcher was bowled by Crane for nought.

Needing eleven runs to secure a batting point, Read bravely made his way out to the middle to join Gurney, but Hampshire swiftly brought Best back into the bowling attack and he needed just five deliveries to flatten Gurney’s middle stump for 16.

Fletcher bowled a maiden to Carberry, with Wessels keeping wicket and Mullaney leading the team in Read’s absence, in the one over that was possible before lunch.

The restart saw Adams begin with nine from Gurney’s opening over. A clip off his legs flew to the boundary and then a scampered single nearly produced a run out.

Jake Libby was quickly onto the ball and narrowly missed the stumps as it flew away for overthrows. Had he hit, it would have been a reversal of Carberry running out Libby on the second day.

Carberry’s reprieve was short-lived as he fell in Gurney’s next over, edging behind to Wessels for a duck.

It became 21 for two when Fletcher saw off Adams for the second time in the match, nicking to Christian at first slip for 16.

When Gurney bowled Dawson for two, the lead was only 105 with seven wickets remaining but Will Smith and Sean Ervine combined with the largest stand of the match so far.

The pair had added 78 before Notts struck again, once more through the tenacious Gurney, who trapped Ervine lbw for 45.

Tom Alsop was unable to repeat his first innings heroics, edging Gurney behind for seven and then Adam Wheater departed for one.

The wicketkeeper batsman miscued an attempted pull off Fletcher and fell to a well-judged catch at mid on by Mullaney.

Late in the day Patel snared a couple of important wickets to keep Hampshire in check, having Will Smith superbly caught at short midwicket by Brendan Taylor for 61, followed by Best lbw for nought.

Crane and McLaren stayed together until the end and will begin the final day hoping to push the home side’s advantage up towards the 300 mark.

 

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast Fixtures & Ticket Information

Vs. Lancashire Lightning – Saturday 4 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

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