Missed opportunity as Notts thwarted by fine last-wicket rearguard
A battling rearguard action by Leicestershire’s Tom Scriven and Josh Davey in a 106-run last-wicket stand thwarted title-chasing Nottinghamshire’s bid to force a result on the final day of a match with consequences at both ends of the Rothesay County Championship Division One table.
Nottinghamshire were 178 for one in the second innings when the players shook hands on a draw at 4.20pm, Leicestershire having made 365 in their first innings in reply to the home side’s 451 for eight declared.
The visitors - under threat of an immediate return to Division Two after winning promotion for the first time last season - had been 201 runs behind on first innings and seven wickets down overnight, raising Nottinghamshire hopes that they could enforce the follow-on and still have time to bowl them out again.
That first part of that scenario looked like coming to fruition as Leicestershire slipped to 259 for nine in the day’s first six overs, still 43 short of what was needed to avoid the follow-on.
But, drawing on the third-day heroics of Josh Hull for inspiration, Scriven (54) and Davey (49 not out) put together what was a record partnership for this fixture to ensure that Nottinghamshire would have to bat again.
Dillon Pennington took five for 49 and debutant Tom Giles three for 52 for defending champions Nottinghamshire, who drop to second place in the Division One standings, albeit on 163 points only four behind new leaders Somerset. Warwickshire are just a point further behind in third spot.
Pennington had completed his second five-wicket haul of the season by having Ian Holland caught at first slip before Giles claimed his third wicket when he dismissed Ben Cox leg before.
But by the time off-spinner Freddie McCann removed Scriven as Leicestershire were bowled out for 365, only 43 overs remained in the match, too few for there to be a realistic chance of a positive outcome as the loss of much of the opening day to the weather was keenly felt.
Scriven and Davey’s partnership was a record for the last wicket by either county in the history of this fixture, bettering the 103 by Sam Staples and Bill Voce for Nottinghamshire at Leicestershire’s Aylestone Road ground in 1933.
It had been only down to Hull’s extraordinary 97 as nightwatcher on day three that Leicestershire began the final morning still in with a shout of avoiding the follow-on.
And, having watched their fellow seamer bat for five and a quarter hours, Scriven and Davey demonstrated that they too could respond in adversity, frustrating Nottinghamshire for almost two and a half hours before Scriven’s resistance was finally cracked.
Leicestershire’s work was not complete, though, with an over-rate of minus three from Nottinghamshire’s first innings to deal with.
Against these offerings, Hameed, who has had a lean season by his recent standards, passed fifty for only the third time in 19 innings before reaching his 21st career first-class ton from 109 balls with nine fours and a six.
McCann, opening in place of Ben Slater, who had not been on the field all day, was the sole casualty, caught behind off the occasional off-spinner Rishi Patel.