Match Preview: Lancashire vs Nottinghamshire
Lancashire’s final home game of 2023 sees them face a Nottinghamshire side who are not yet safe from relegation danger.
It would be a surprise to see the Trent Bridge side get dragged into the bottom two given they have a 29-point cushion with two rounds remaining. But they aren’t mathematically safe just yet.
Lancashire drew their eighth match of the season against Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford last week. No team in Division One has drawn as many this season.
The latest stalemate means the Red Rose (146 points) are fifth in the table with two to play - seven points behind third-placed Hampshire.
Given second-placed Essex (187) are 41 clear of Lancashire with only 48 points available, third is realistically the height of expectations for Keaton Jennings, Glen Chapple and company.
Lancashire will have to make at least four changes from the Middlesex draw. Dane Vilas has played his last game for the county, while Tom Hartley, Phil Salt and Luke Wood are now on England ODI duty for their forthcoming three-match series against Ireland from Wednesday.
Hartley gained a late and maiden call-up on Friday.
Opponents
Nottinghamshire wouldn’t have known whether to laugh or cry when leaving Canterbury with a draw last week.
Replying to Kent’s first-innings 446, they were made to follow on 181 runs behind and started Wednesday’s final day in trouble at 177-5. The hosts were hot favourites.
But a Joe Clarke century meant they recovered to 348 all out, setting up a target of 168. Kent then slipped to 59-5 in reply with nearly 20 overs remaining before blocking out for the draw and finishing on 86-5.
In the grand scheme of things, the eight points Notts gained for the draw are extremely valuable and have given them significant breathing space towards the bottom.
Newly promoted this season, Notts won the Division Two title last season under the leadership of former Lancashire coach Peter Moores and our ex-all-rounder Steven Mullaney. Haseeb Hameed was also a key figure for them at the top of the order and remains so.
Like Lancashire, they have won three of 12 matches. But their haul of four defeats to one indicates why they are seventh in the table and looking over their shoulder.
Clarke, batting at number four, scored 62 and 141 not out at Canterbury last week, and the 27-year-old is his county’s leading Championship run-scorer with 961 at 50.57.
Seamer Brett Hutton, aged 30, is the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 54 and leads an attack which has been boosted by the late season overseas signing of Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando, who he shared the new ball with last week.
Fernando gave them an unexpected victory chance with three wickets in Kent’s second innings. Hutton, incidentally, didn’t bowl in that innings.
Opposing player to watch
Joe Clarke falls into the category which someone such as Gary Keedy did during his legendary Lancashire career. You can almost ask the same question. ‘Is Clarke one the best current county players never to have played for England?’
Possibly so.
He has played for the Under 19s and the England Lions, and maybe other factors are at play. He has had some well-documented off-field issues in recent years.
But if he graduated through to senior England honours, in whatever format, you feel he could make a real success of it.
He’s a quality and prolific top order batter who signed on at Trent Bridge from Worcestershire at the end of 2018.
He has scored 20 centuries, including a best of 229 not out, in 119 first-class appearances and can take the wicketkeeping gloves if required.
That’s a role he has fulfilled on his travels as a T20 player around the world. Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Karachi Kings and the Manchester Originals are amongst his list of franchise clubs.
If Lancashire are going to win this week, you feel as if they have to stymie Clarke’s success with the bat.
Previous meeting
Lancashire oh so nearly pulled off a stunning victory over Notts at Trent Bridge in early May, the hosts hanging on for a draw nine wickets down in their second innings.
Rain affected this fixture. Only 37.5 overs were bowled on day one, for example.
But the Red Rose engineered a victory chance despite the interruptions and having conceded a first-innings lead of 35.
Josh Bohannon’s 68 was the feature of a first-innings 214 all out, Brett Hutton claiming five wickets for the hosts.
Haseeb Hameed opened with 97 against his home county, though was one of three wickets for seamer Will Williams. Tom Bailey and George Balderson also matched that haul as Notts were bowled out for 249 on day three.
Bohannon top-scored again in the second innings with 92, bettering opener Balderson by one run in 329-8 declared, setting Notts 295 to win in the final two sessions.
Notts then crumbled to 55-6, including Jimmy Anderson’s first wicket of the match.
The England Test star went on to take three wickets as the hosts slipped to 136-9 with four balls remaining. But Olly Stone held out against Tom Hartley’s spin.
What they said
The departure of a player such as Dane Vilas, a legend who has been part of the furniture at Emirates Old Trafford for the last six years, automatically leads one to look ahead to the future.
What’s coming through, who’s going to fill his place? They are obvious questions.
Well, one thing is clear - the future is looking bright for the Red Rose, with a plethora of young players having stuck their hands up this year and shown flashes of excellence.
One of those is 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter George Bell, who has played 10 Championship matches and scored 380 runs added to 24 catches and two stampings - some of those victims have been catches in the outfield.
“We’ve got some really good young lads in the team, and we’re all really close,” said Bell.
“I’ve played a lot with George Balderson and Tommy Hartley, and they’ve done a great job. Balders, especially, has been in unbelievable form with bat and ball this year. Tommy as well, he’s really performed well.
“In the One-Day Cup, we’ve had George Lavelle, Matt Hurst, Jack Morley and Tom Aspinwall.
“We’ve also got Josh Boyden and Harry Singh and all these players.
“Hopefully we can build into the future, and we want to take Lancashire on. We’re in a good position to build for the future.”
Bell has played 25 matches across all formats this summer.
“I’ve had so much opportunity this year and have managed to be in every (Championship) squad. It was something unexpected for me at the start of the year,” he continued.
“I thought I might get more of an opportunity this year than I did last, but I didn’t think it would be this much.
“I just want to thank the coaching staff and the players for making me feel welcome.
“It’s great to be involved in first-team cricket, and I’m loving it. Even when there’s bad days, it’s good fun.
“It’s a great opportunity I’ve had this year, and I hope I’ve taken it in a way that’s going to make me a better player and take it on in the future.
“If I’m going to be harsh on myself, I’d have liked a few more runs. But there’s two more games, and hopefully I can get a few more.
“I’ve been happy with the amount of games I’ve played, and hopefully I’ve provided an impact. But that’s down to other people to judge.”
How’s Stat!
Tom Bailey is two wickets away from 50 for the season in Division One.
If Bailey achieves that, he will have taken 50 wickets in four of the last five Championship seasons; 64 in 2018, 50 in 2021 and 52 in 2022.
