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Wagh keeps promotion hopes alive

Warwickshire 373 and 257-3 Nottinghamshire 350-6 and 141 Warwickshire win by 139 runs

Jon Culley
Tuesday 07 August 2001 00:00 BST
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The supposition that Warwickshire could not win this contest was made to look ill-informed after a tame attempt by Nottinghamshire to chase not the most daunting of targets ran into difficulties and ultimately defeat here yesterday. Despite being a bowler short following the injury suffered by Melvyn Betts on Saturday, the home side turned out to have quite enough resources.

They had reduced Nottinghamshire to 85 for 5 by the first over after tea, at which point the goal of 281 to win from a minimum 60 overs was confirmed as a theoretical object for the visitors. Effectively, they were 85 for 6, given that their hand had also been compromised by the loss of Jason Gallian with a broken finger.

Thereafter, as Warwickshire asked their spinners to intensify efforts that were already bearing fruit, Nottinghamshire defended as ineptly as they had attacked and were beaten comprehensively, Mark Wagh's infrequently employed off-breaks yielding an analysis of 3-1-3-3. Neil Smith, Warwickshire's principal off-spinner, also took three.

A wet morning yesterday delayed the resumption until 1.25pm, and it took some improvisation of the worst kind to revive the possibility of a decent finish. Warwickshire added 43 to their overnight 214 for 3 in 10 minutes of total nonsense, in which wicketkeeper Chris Read bowled three overs of filth from one end, accompanied by John Morris – who would challenge Shane Warne only in a battle of waist measurements – twirling for 2.2 overs at the other.

But any Edgbaston member who felt his patronage was being insulted was probably prepared to overlook it when, six overs into the final hour, Lucas was leg before wicket offering no noticeable stroke to Smith, completing a victory that means promotion for Warwickshire cannot be discounted.

Nottinghamshire were frustrated by the home side's seamers with their top three batsmen perishing to rash strokes. Frustrated by the unwillingness of the seamers to offer easy runs, their top three each perished to a rash shot.

Darren Bicknell survived longest to reach 45 before holing out off a Dougie Brown delivery with the haven of tea in sight and when Kevin Pietersen became the first of Wagh's three wickets (in the space of eight balls) Nottinghamshire were powerless to prevent defeat.

To add insult to injury the visitors were docked a quarter of a point for a slow over rate.

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