Shreck leads Notts to the brink

Aggressive bowling from giant fast bowler Charlie Shreck left Nottinghamshire well set to wrap up a three-day victory over Lancashire on Friday.

The Cornishman constantly tested the Lancashire batsmen with a mix of feisty bouncers and full-pitched swinging deliveries, and finished with 5-40 from 26.3 overs, including 13 maidens.

Lancashire were eventually dismissed for 233 in their second innings, leaving Notts needing to chase 145 to win at Trent Bridge.

Notts lost Will Jefferson in the final nine overs of play to close on 33 for one, requiring a further 112 to strengthen their position at the top of LV County Championship Division One.

After 20 wickets tumbled on the opening day, pitch liaison officer Tony Pigott confirmed there were no concerns over the state of the Trent Bridge surface.

Conditions looked good enough when Paul Horton was putting on 70 for the first wicket with nightwatchman Gary Keedy, who survived for two hours before finally being removed by Paul Franks three overs before lunch.

Keedy edged a defensive shot low and left of wicketkeeper Chris Read, who took an exceptional one-handed diving catch in front of first slip.

Franks struck again to dismiss Horton in his next over, shattering the right-hander’s stumps with a quick full-pitched ball to bring up his 400th first-class wicket.

Shreck was denied the new ball in favour of Mark Ealham, but stepped up after lunch with three crucial wickets, all caught by Read, although the batsmen were also culpable with poor shots.

First Mark Chilton edged an ambitious drive, then Mal Loye chased a wide one and bottom-edged a cut shot.

Captain Stuart Law completed the sequence with another rash drive to a full, swinging delivery.

Veteran all-rounder Ealham’s leg-cutter proved too good for Francois du Plessis, who was squared up for another catch to Read before tea.

Steven Croft offered a straightforward bat-pad catch to Samit Patel at short square leg off Graeme Swann, before Darren Pattinson and Shreck took the new ball to finish off the innings.

Pattinson removed Steven Mullaney, caught by a tumbling Read down the leg-side, to give the former England gloveman six catches in the innings.

It equalled Read’s career-best tally of dismissals in a first-class innings.

Luke Sutton departed to the next ball, edging Shreck to Swann at first slip, and Sajid Mahmood was plumb leg before in the following over.

A repeat performance of their first innings batting performance would not augur well for Notts, even in pursuit of a small total.

Opener Matt Wood hit six attractive fours but he lost his partner Jefferson before the close, caught at first slip off Mahmood for nought.