Nixon shines among the showers

Date: Wednesday 07 April 2010

Leicestershire’s attempts to get a full day’s batting practice under their belts ahead of Friday’s Championship opener against Northamptonshire was spoilt by poor weather at Trent Bridge.

In total, only 56 overs were possible and the team made 195-6. Paul Nixon was the batsman who really cashed in; making 74 before retiring his fine innings. Tom New also played well in adding an unbeaten 33 and James Benning added a swift 29.

Play was set to start on time as although it was a little gloomy, the floodlights were switched on. However, rain then fell steadily which ensured that no cricket was possible before the luncheon interval.

The Leicestershire innings finally got underway at 1.20pm with Will Jefferson and Matthew Boyce opening.

Jefferson got off the mark with a driven four but then dragged a Ryan Sidebottom delivery onto his stumps.

Boyce opened his boundary account in fine style with a cover drive but the going was tougher against Sidebottom. His first four overs were maidens and he ripped one beauty past the outside edge.

Darren Pattinson was also moving the ball around and he claimed his first wicket in the tenth over. The seamer enticed Boyce to nibble at one and Chris Read took the catch.

Nixon and James Taylor then went about constructing a partnership, as they did in Monday’s game.

Luke Fletcher came on at the Radcliffe Road End to replace Sidebottom, whose initial analysis stood at an impressive 6-5-1-1.

Again, a combination of rain and bad light ensured the bid to get a solid period of play was again thwarted and an early tea was taken with Leicestershire on 33-2.

On resumption, Nixon drove handsomely through mid on for a boundary. Taylor played a beautiful stroke through mid-wicket to the long boundary which held up on the damp outfield; they ran four nevertheless.

Notts thought they had Taylor caught down the leg side but the ball brushed his clothing. However, they had their man when Fletcher got one to bounce later in the over and Steven Mullaney held the catch at gully.

Nixon continued to play nicely, and a drive through mid on was followed by a square drive that raced across the strip. Both went to the boundary, and another stroke through mid on a couple of overs later also went for four.

Nixon was going well and a lovely glanced four when Andy Carter entered the attack got Josh Cobb into double figures.

A Nixon cut for four bought up an 81-ball fifty; the landmark included eight boundaries.

Carter nearly dismissed Nixon but Samit Patel spilled a chance in the cordon. Cobb fell in the next over, caught by Akhil Patel at extra off the bowling of Mullaney.

New got off the mark with a flowing drive through cover and Nixon continued to build; including a super square drive and a late cut that flew down to the vacant third man boundary.

Sidebottom returned for another spell and after being ultra-economical, Nixon broke the shackles with a powerful shorthand jab over mid-wicket.

The batsman called it quits on 74 to allow Benning to come to the crease. The batter announced his arrival with a powerful drive through the covers.

New and Benning were determined to get some time in the middle and had a new challenge when Samit Patel and Graeme White came on to bowl their slow left armers.

The keeper took on White by launching a fine blow over mid-wicket, while Benning hit Patel down the ground with a good shot.

Benning found the off-side boundary twice in the 46th over to take him into the twenties and then belted a stroke over mid-wicket for six.

His cameo of 29 from 40 balls came to an end when he picked out Bilal Shafayat at mid-wicket of the bowling of White.

Leicestershire’s White came to the wicket to face his namesake - and then lofted Patel for six over extra when getting down the other end.

New then pulled over mid-wicket for four and drove nicely through the covers as he made his way to 33 not out. He and White (9*) saw out the remaining of the day.