Day One

All-rounder Lyndon James finished on 92 not out after leading a Nottinghamshire recovery from 50 for six as they closed on 212 for nine on day one of their Vitality County Championship match against Hampshire at Trent Bridge

Mohammad Abbas, who took 15 wickets in the two matches between these counties last season, was the scourge of Nottinghamshire again with four for 36 - but Hampshire may yet rue their dropped catches as they look for a first win of their Division One campaign.

James, eight away from a first hundred since September 2022, was dropped on 23 and 32 as Hampshire’s slip fielders suffered a day of contrasting fortunes, holding all three chances offered in the morning session but putting down three in the afternoon and another after tea.

Hampshire have an excellent record against Nottinghamshire, winning eight of their last 11 matches, including both of last year’s encounters.

Nottinghamshire, who fielded the same XI that beat Lancashire to break their duck for the season last week, found themselves two down before they had scored a run as Abbas struck in the second and third overs of a new ball spell in which he did not concede a run until his 35th delivery.

Abbas, who was missing last week due to illness, had Ben Slater caught behind with a ball that nipped away late and dismissed Will Young with one that squared up the New Zealander and took the shoulder of the bat, looping to backward point.

The Pakistan international took a breather after only six overs but there was scant respite for the home side, who were 17 for three when Joe Clarke edged to third slip off Kyle Abbott and 37 for four when left-armer Keith Barker - making his first appearance of the season - found some extra bounce from the Stuart Broad End and had Haseeb Hameed caught behind, a first dismissal in four innings for the Nottinghamshire captain.

On a green-tinged pitch of somewhat mottled appearance, Hampshire’s decision to bowl first on winning the toss looked the right one.

James Fuller got in on the act by uprooting Tom Moores’s leg stump with a big inswinger before Abbas returned to grab a third scalp as Jack Haynes slashed at a ball outside off stump and was caught at first slip by a tumbling Tom Prest, whose non-appearance after lunch suggested he had injured himself in the process.

If 50 for six wasn’t bad enough, it should have been worse still for Nottinghamshire, yet the sharpness in the field that had characterised the morning session for Hampshire deserted them after lunch.

The scoreboard will say that Harrison and James fashioned a recovery in adding 69 but their partnership should have ended on 31 when Michael Neser, fielding as sub in place of Presty at first slip, let one slip through his hands when Harrison was on nine. Barker, the unlucky bowler, suffered again in his next over when James Vince, at third slip, spilled another chance when James was on 23.

James had another let-off on 32 when Fletcha Middleton put him down at second slip off Fuller in what was the easiest of the three chances.

In the event, it took the introduction of Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin to part the seventh-wicket pair when Harrison was bowled by a ball that skidded through low.

Another opportunity went begging after tea as Olly Stone was put down on nine off Abbas, Vince again the culprit at third slip, the Hampshire captain copping a nasty blow around the base of his left thumb in the attempt. He was able to continue, but only with the aid of strapping and painkillers.

After surviving his two scares, James dug in to reach his second half-century of the season off 135 balls with his fifth boundary, finding some dogged support from Stone, with whom he added another 59 before a slip catch finally stuck, Liam Dawson at second just about getting his fingers under a nick offered by Stone as Abbas, with the second new ball, took his fourth, before the day closed with Dillon Pennington leg before to Abbott.

Nick Gubbins is missing from the Hampshire line-up after becoming a father for the first time earlier this week.

Day Two

Olly Stone pushed his claims for an England recall with his best Championship bowling figures in four years as Nottinghamshire and Hampshire reached the halfway stage of their Vitality County Championship match almost on level terms.

Stone took four for 62 with new-ball partner Dillon Pennington backing him up with three for 70, yet after slipping to 77 for five with Tom Prest unable to bat after suffering an injury in the field, Hampshire rebuilt around a sixth-wicket stand of 157 between all-rounder Liam Dawson (95) and veteran seamer Keith Barker (74) to claim a first-innings lead of 41 at 276 all out.

Nottinghamshire suffered a setback when skipper Haseeb Hameed to the second ball of their second innings but ended day two on 33 for one, just eight runs in arrears.
Earlier, Nottinghamshire all-rounder Lyndon James had turned his overnight 92 into a first century of the season, finishing unbeaten on 106 as the home side were bowled out for 235.

Nine down for 212 overnight, Nottinghamshire’s first innings limped on just long enough to fulfil the objective of seeing James safely across the line.

The 25-year-old, a genuine home-grown talent, was looking for his first hundred since hitting three in his breakthrough season in 2022.

Last-wicket partner Dane Paterson almost denied him, chancing a single that may well have seen him run out on 95 had Fletcha Middleton’s throw hit the stumps with James still scrambling to make his ground.

The moment was forgotten, though, when James smashed a Kyle Abbott delivery to the off-side boundary for his ninth four, making sure his five and a quarter hours at the crease were not expended on a mere ninety-something.

A fulsome swing of the bat then saw Paterson caught behind as Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 235.

Stone needed only three balls to make his first impact of the day, finding the edge of Ali Orr’s defensive bat as Hampshire went a wicket down for no runs.

Their innings almost mirrored the pattern of Nottinghamshire’s with half their wickets falling cheaply.

Felix Organ, dropped off Stone at third slip on three, had added only two more Stone found the edge again and Calvin Harrison made a fine grab at second slip.

By lunch, Hampshire were 61 for three as skipper James Vince, having taken advantage of Pennington’s struggle to find his early rhythm by hitting four boundaries in one over, got himself slightly squared up against Paterson and was caught behind.

Middleton fell two overs after lunch with no addition, gloving a catch to Clark as he tried to evade a short delivery from Pennington, after which Stone returned to claim his third wicket as Ben Brown nudged one to third slip, leaving Hampshire five down for 77, still 158 behind.

Yet thereafter the afternoon turned into a tale of frustration for the home side.

After surviving what remained of Stone’s second impressive spell of the day, Dawson and Barker became more expansive, Barker riding his luck on several occasions as the ball flew in unpredictable directions off different parts of the bat.

Barker took full advantage of his good fortune, twice whipping Pennington for sixes over the midwicket boundary and twice reverse sweeping Harrison’s leg-spin for four before Dawson, who had been circumspect initially, went after James with three boundaries in the same over.

The pair were parted soon after tea when Stone returned for a third spell, the England bowler angling one in from wide on the crease that beat Barker for pace, knocking back his off stump.

James Fuller helped Dawson add another 36 before an uppercut off Pennington looped to sub fielder James Hayes at wide third man, after which the innings ended relatively quickly in the absence of Prest, with Abbott leg before to Harrison and Dawson departing with a near carbon copy of Fuller’s shot as Pennington picked up his third.

Hameed was a second-ball casualty as Nottinghamshire began their second innings, edging a rashly extravagant drive to third slip off Barker, before Will Young and Ben Slater safely negotiated what remained of the 15 overs before the close.

Day Three

Hampshire’s opportunity to notch a first win of the season is in the balance after a fast-moving third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge left them with still much work to do.

Chasing a modest 169 to win, Hampshire ended the day still 85 runs away from their target at 84 for five and probably a man short unless Tom Prest can bat with the injured shoulder that has kept him off the field since tea on day one.

Nottinghamshire had been bowled out for 209 in their second innings by tea, with veteran quick Kyle Abbott (3-41) and off-spinner Felix Organ (3-38) taking three wickets each after Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes had made half-centuries.

But Hampshire then slumped to 44 for five as Dillon Pennington (2-16) and Dane Paterson (2-19) led a determined effort with the ball by the home side before Fletcha Middleton (33) and James Fuller (23) saw out the final overs to calm their nerves.

Still eight runs behind at 33 for one overnight, Nottinghamshire stumbled into early trouble as the pattern of the first two innings repeated itself.

Against a ball that was only 15 overs old, they lost wickets in each of Abbott’s opening three overs. Will Young edged to wicketkeeper Ben Brown from a ball that lifted and left him, Ben Slater was pushed back in his crease to be leg before and Tom Moores saw his off-stump uprooted by one angled in from wide by the veteran South African seamer.

At 44 for four - effectively three for four - Nottinghamshire were in a difficult spot that could have turned worse still had Clarke not been dropped on 17 at 65 for four. It was Michael Neser at first slip - substitute for the injured Prest - whose hands let him down, a second such error of the match by the Australian and a fifth for Hampshire overall.

Clarke punished the mistake by passing fifty for the fourth time this season as he and Haynes added 96 for the fifth wicket before the former was out for 57, gloving a catch to Brown after being tempted by a short delivery from Mohammad Abbas.

Haynes completed his half-century from 111 balls, but against the spin combination of Liam Dawson and Organ on a three-day old pitch Nottinghamshire’s hopes of building a substantial lead unravelled.

Organ struck the first blow as Haynes was caught at short leg via an inside edge on to pad, picking up a second when Lyndon James, trying to help one round the corner, gave an easy catch to short fine leg.

Dawson then claimed two in consecutive overs as Olly Stone’s paddle sweep looped up gently for James Vince to catch running across from slip before Dillon Pennington was trapped leg before.

Organ wrapped things up by having Calvin Harrison stumped, leaving Hampshire needing 169 to win.

With Nick Gubbins missing the match on paternity leave and Prest unlikely to bat, it was never likely to be a straightforward task against the Nottinghamshire attack, even with 127 overs at their disposal.

Knowing the potency of the new ball so far in this contest, Hampshire made no attempt to hurry yet still found themselves two down for 15 inside the first 10 overs, thanks to two superlative catches.

Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed took the first, plucking the ball out of the air one-handed at mid-on as Ali Orr mistimed his shot horribly against Pennington, who picked up his second wicket soon afterwards.

This time Harrison produced the athleticism, using every inch of his 6ft 4ins plus a fully extended right arm to grab the ball a good eight feet off the ground. Organ, the man out, had aimed a rather wild slash at a ball wide of off stump but was nonplussed nonetheless that it had not cleared the cordon.

It was enough for Nottinghamshire to sense an opportunity and they took full advantage of Hampshire’s frailty.

Skipper Vince, on whom much seemed to rest, fell for six, leg before to a full delivery from Paterson that he was trying to work to leg, Dawson hit James straight into the hands of short cover and Brown lost his off stump to a swinging delivery from Paterson, leaving Hampshire 44 for five and now facing a fight for survival.

Day Four

Hampshire needed just 80 minutes of the final day to complete a five-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the Vitality County Championship at Trent Bridge.

Five down overnight - and with Tom Prest likely to bat only in extremis after suffering a shoulder fracture in the field on day one - Hampshire still needed 85 runs to chase down a target of 169 when they resumed, which looked potentially tricky

In the event, Fletcha Middleton and James Fuller build on the foundations laid on Sunday evening to compile an unbroken match-winning partnership of 127.

All-rounder Fuller finished 77 not out with opener Middleton unbeaten on 59.

It is Hampshire’s first win of the season but their ninth victory in the last 12 Championship matches between themselves and Nottinghamshire and their sixth in seven since they last suffered defeat in 2018

Hampshire finished just behind runners-up Essex in third place in last season’s Division One table but have been out of form so far and the 20 points picked up here will come as a relief in what may prove an unforgiving division this year.

A first century of the season by all-rounder Lyndon James (106 not out) rescued Nottinghamshire from 50 for six in their first innings but - the Middleston-Fuller partnership apart - the key passage of batting in the contest was the 157-run stand between Liam Dawson (95) and Keith Barker (74) for Hampshire’s sixth-wicket on Saturday, which enabled the visitors to claim a narrow first-innings lead, despite England’s Olly Stone (4-62) impressing with the ball.

Nottinghamshire’s top order again found the going tough at the start of their second innings, losing three wickets before even wiping out the arrears, and though they were bolstered by half-centuries by Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes, the 169-run target left was always going to be difficult to defend, even allowing for more damage inflicted by the new ball.

They gave themselves a chance by reducing Hampshire to 44 for five on Sunday evening before Middleton and Fuller weathered the storm, getting through the last eight overs to stumps unscathed.

An early breakthrough looked vital as the last day began under cloudy skies but none of the Nottinghamshire seamers could conjure much out of the pitch and any hope that leg spinner Calvin Harrison could turn the context vanished when he conceded 21 runs in a single over to rush Hampshire towards a win that was finally achieved when Fuller guided a ball from James to the fine leg boundary for his eighth four.