Butcher disappointed after draw at Trent Bridge
Published 14 July 2008
Surrey were denied a first Championship win of the season against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge as Samit Patel hit an unbeaten 134 to bat out the final day. Surrey had Nottinghamshire six wickets down with a lead of just 23, but Patel and Graeme Swann took the game away from Surrey to give the visitors a sixth draw of the season.
Surrey Cricket Manager Alan Butcher was left frustrated after his team failed to force a win at Trent Bridge. Listen to Butcher here on Surrey TV.
The Surrey bowlers began the final day full of promise in trying to bowl out the home side. They needed eight wickets to try and force a win at Trent Bridge, but it wasn’t to be. Returning night watchman Andre Adams added valuable quick runs for Nottinghamshire in the morning session as again Surrey were culprits of forcefully trying to claim wickets that resulted in giving up easy runs. When the Surrey quick’s found a good length the pitch was still offering decent bounce and pace to beat the bat, but they were few and far between, as Jade Dernbach and Pedro Collins did not bowl with any consistency. Adams went to fifty and with Matthew Wood taking his time Nottinghamshire were taking time out of the game.
Matthew Nicholson came into the attack and finally removed Adams for 58 with a yorker. Chris Jordan began to bowl with the pace he showed on day three and beat the bat a number of times from the Pavilion and removed Wood for 26, caught behind by Jonathan Batty, as Nottinghamshire were 129 for four. Adams Voges played more steadily than he did in the first innings and took the home side to lunch with Samit Patel.
Dernbach claimed Voges shortly after lunch for 35 with an edge from a wide half volley. The catch was taken by Batty, who claimed his 500th dismissal of his first-class career. When Collins then captured Chris Read for just five with an in-swinging yorker Nottinghamshire were 207 for 6 and only 23 ahead. Saqlain Mushtaq was unusually in-effected on an ever more docile pitch and Patel played beautifully. He stroked the ball around with ease and raced past fifty.
Swann joined Patel and together they frustrated a tiring Surrey team. Mark Ramprakash did not find any answer the partnership and failed to come up with a plan to get a breakthrough. Patel kept hitting the fence with ease, as Surrey lost their way, and he brought up his first hundred of the season with a drive for four off Dernbach. Swann reached fifty and they pair took the game to 5 o’clock, when the game was declared a draw.
Surrey will leave Trent Bridge frustrated and disappointed not to have forced a win as they head into the second half of the season in seventh place in Division one, 25 points behind leaders Nottinghamshire.
Click here to watch highlights on Surrey TV.
Add to Del.icio.us Digg it share on Facebook (What is this?)
