Brett Hutton claimed four wickets on his return to Trent Bridge as the Green and Golds continued their pre-season preparations against Oxford UCCE.

Having declared overnight after a prolific first outing of 2021 with the bat, it was over to the bowlers on a similarly sunny second day.

Proceedings could hardly have started any better for the hosts as Hutton snared his first scalp in his opening over. By lunch, the Academy graduate had returned four wickets for just three runs to leave Oxford reeling on 47-4.

But the visitors made the most of the luck that repeatedly came their way in the afternoon session as Calvin Harrison and Mohammed Rizvi both made half-centuries.

A sixth-wicket stand of 114 was ended when Rizvi fell to Patterson-White shortly after tea, but Harrison went on to bring up three figures as he continued to thwart Notts’ valiant efforts.

Ben Slater continued his excellent game by removing Harrison with an hour remaining, before Peter Trego and Joey Evison also got in on the wicket-taking act late on as Oxford closed on 291-9.

Captain Steven Mullaney rotated his attack throughout the day, using no fewer than eight bowlers, as the hosts’ perseverance meant they ultimately enjoyed the better of a day that ebbed and flowed.

Opening the bowling on the morning of his second Nottinghamshire debut, Hutton proceeded to rearrange Hamza Ahmed’s furniture with just his fourth ball, removing the Oxford opener for zero.

There was to be an hour of frustration to follow for the hosts, as William Heathfield and Matthew Taylor resisted a Green and Gold attack that maintained a consistent good line.

However, a burst from Hutton shortly after midday saw Oxford lose three wickets for no runs in the space of three overs.

 

 

First, the right-armer had Taylor caught at gully by Patterson-White for 12, before he trapped Chris McBride lbw and saw Louie White pouched by Haseeb Hameed at slip in successive deliveries.

Opener Heathfield had remained resolute throughout the morning’s events, making a battling 19, but the hosts’ pressure once again told shortly after lunch as Patterson-White spun one into his stumps.

Despite the dismissal, Notts largely encountered a brick wall of resistance for the remainder of the afternoon as Harrison and Rizvi fought their way to an unbroken stand of 106 at tea.

However, it took just three overs of the evening session for Patterson-White to induce an edge from Rizvi, who was caught behind for 66.

Harrison went to his century with a boundary, before Notts took the wicket they had been craving when he fell on 121 to Slater’s very first delivery.

Charlie Gwynn, who hit 33, saw his leg stump go cartwheeling courtesy of Trego with four overs remaining, before Toby Greatwood was pinned in front by Evison in the day’s last over for 22.

The final wicket pairing of Alex Wilkinson and Hugo Whitlock proceeded to see out the final deliveries for the visitors, with both closing on six not out.

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Tickets to witness Notts Outlaws’ defence of their Vitality Blast title in 2021 are now on general sale.