Mal content with knock

Mal Loye advances towards 84 in Lancashire's 237 for six in reply to Nottinghamshire's 388 all out at Trent Bridge today

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Mal Loye’s highest LV= County Championship score in more than two years prevented Lancashire from caving in to accurate Nottinghamshire bowling on the second day at Trent Bridge.

After England hopeful Ryan Sidebottom had made 46 to boost the hosts’ total to 388 in the Division One clash, Loye hit a watchful 84 from 191 balls, with 10 fours, as Lancashire crawled to 237 for six.

Sidebottom looked threatening at times but went without reward ahead of the first Ashes Test at Cardiff next week, with former England all-rounder Mark Ealham the star performer in picking up 3-26 off 14 overs.

Loye, who last hit a Championship hundred in April 2007 against Warwickshire, perished trying to hit the left-arm spin of Samit Patel over the top.

Notts resumed their first innings on 369 for nine with Sidebottom on 35, his best effort with the bat in eight years.

But just when he looked likely to post only the second half-century of his career, the left-hander played a wild shot across the line to former Notts loan signing Oliver Newby and was bowled, with Charlie Shreck finishing unbeaten on 12.

On a slow pitch, Notts needed to take advantage of the humid conditions early on to stay on top in the match, particularly with no specialist spinner in their side.

And Darren Pattinson was quick to strike in the fourth over when Paul Horton’s loose waft outside off ended with an edge to Ali Brown at first slip.

With Sidebottom bowling tightly, scoring proved difficult all day, with Ealham picking up his first wicket with his third ball as Karl Brown moved across his stumps and was trapped lbw.

VVS Laxman’s sweetly-timed cover drive off Shreck suggested the India international might find the situation easier, but he only hit two more boundaries before he was caught at point by Bilal Shafayat with a mis-hit cut off Ealham, two overs after the same fielder had been unable to cling on to a chance high to his left.

Ealham followed up by having Mark Chilton leg-before to a ball that nipped back off the seam, but Steven Croft dug in to offer support for Loye past tea.

Loye was bowled by Patel early in the final session and Croft made 25 before he was the third leg-before victim at the Pavilion End, with Shreck the man to benefit.

But Luke Sutton and Glen Chapple added 51 off 82 balls to reach the close, with Sutton unbeaten on 25 and Chapple 39 not out, having hit eight fours.