Nottinghamshire closed their programme of pre-season fixtures with a comprehensive win over Cambridge MCCU at Fenner’s.
Chasing a nominal 649 for victory, the students were bowled out for 131 in 43.5 overs, giving Notts victory by 517 runs, their second-largest winning margin ever.
On a rain-interrupted final day the county attack was made to work much harder than they had been 24 hours earlier when they had bowled out the MCCU side for just 52. This time that total was passed with only four wickets down, with opener Harrison Palmer making 31.
Luke Wood returned the pick of the bowling figures, collecting the first five wicket return of his career. He finished with five for 40, although his second spell brought him the return of five for 27.
“I didn’t get any wickets in my first spell but its a funny game and it was good to come back and bowl quite nicely and pick up five in one spell, so I’m pretty happy with my performance.
“It’s nice to get a five-for and a career best so early in the season, it was one of my aims to get one and then keep going, so it’s great to get one early doors.”
In the middle of his spell of destruction he also pulled off a sharp bit of fielding to execute a run out.
“It’s not very often that I’m at point,” said the 20 year old. “So maybe that might be my new position for a while but it’s always nice whenever things go your way, however it happens.”
Wood admits that there’s uncertainty over who will comprise the bowling attack for the start of the Specsavers County Championship, with Australia’s Jackson Bird sure to get a start.
“Obviously we’ve got good depth in our bowling and Jackson is going to strengthen that,” he said. “I think everyone here has bowled really well and done as much as they could, so we’ll all have to wait now and see who gets picked to play against Surrey.”
Head Coach Wayne Noon complemented the quality of his side’s all-round performance. “With the forecast of showers and uncertainty over how much play we were going to get, I think the lads have been very professional and it’s been a very pleasing three days,” he said.
“Luke got the wickets today and we’ve got potentially five seamers who could all play on Sunday, so that’s a great position to be in. In terms of preparation we’ve got what we wanted out of this game.”
The day began with the announcement that Nottinghamshire had declared their second innings at the overnight score of 170 for five, leaving Harry Gurney undefeated on his new career best score of 27 not out.
As in the first innings, it didn’t take too long for Notts to part the students’ openers, with Joe Tetley (6) caught behind by Chris Read off Jake Ball.
Harry Ellison was reprieved in the ninth over against the same bowler. Caught at slip by Riki Wessels, when on six, he was spared by the umpire’s call of ‘No Ball’. Rubbing salt into the wound he streakily edged both of the next two deliveries wide of the cordon for fours.
Ellison’s luck wasn’t to last though, sent on his way lbw against Brett Hutton for 14, from the next ball he faced.
With light drizzle falling Gurney needed only four deliveries to strike, enticing Ben Bryant (3) to nick a sharply-rising delivery behind.
The score was advanced to 47 for three but with around 45 minutes of the morning session still remaining, the umpires decided that the conditions had deteriorated too much and took the players off for an early lunch.
It took just four deliveries after a delayed re-start for Gurney to inflict more misery upon the Light Blues. Adil Arif (8) tried to chase a ball he should have left alone and presented Read with his third offering.
A stand of 36, the students’ highest of the match, was broken by the return of Luke Wood as Tom Colverd (18) was sent on his way lbw.
For the second time in the match opener Palmer (31) survived until becoming the sixth man out. This time, his 143 minute vigil was ended by a catch at first slip by Riki Wessels, off Wood, who then had Drew Brierley (12) lbw three balls later.
Wood remained in the game to execute the run out of Connor Emerton (1) from point as Alistair Allchin looked to push a quick single straight to the fielder.
Cambridge made their way past 108, thereby denying Nottinghamshire their highest winning margin but the end was soon forthcoming.
Another lbw from the left arm quick gave Wood his fourth victim as Allchin’s (1) stay at the crease came to a rapid end.
The youngster’s fifth victim was Adam Barton, comprehensively bowled for eight, to bring the curtain down on a successful few weeks of preparation.
The 2015 season saw dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
This season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.