Nottinghamshire v Kent: Scores and match report

Match scores (Trent Bridge)

Match drawn     

Kent 1st inns: 180 (Bell-Drummond 84, Billings 30; Pattinson 3-30, Mullaney 3-2)

Kent 2nd inns: 265 (Milne 51, Billings 39* ret, Rouse 35, Stevens 31; Gurney 3-63, Mullaney 2-44, Fletcher 2-64)

Nottinghamshire 1st inns: 371 (Mullaney 168, Hales 85; Coles 3-99)

Day four report

Nottinghamshire were left feeling frustrated after persistent drizzle prevented them from chasing down a modest target in their Specsavers County Championship day/night match against Kent at Trent Bridge.

In the hour of cricket that was possible they picked up the final two Kent second-innings wickets, leaving themselves to score just 75 but the wet weather returned before they could face a ball.

Adam Milne and Adam Rouse ensured that the unbeaten Division Two leaders were kept waiting, with a stand of 79 for the eighth wicket.

Milne, making his Kent debut, was eventually dismissed for 51 and Rouse was last to fall after scoring 35.

Harry Gurney returned figures of three for 63 for Notts, with Luke Fletcher and Steven Mullaney each striking twice.

Resuming on 214 for seven, after the first session had been lost to the weather, the visitors held only a narrow advantage of 23 as the game belatedly headed into its final act.

Hopes of an unlikely rearguard action had taken a hit with the overnight news that Darren Stevens would not be able to return to the crease to resume his innings. The 41-year old had been struck on the helmet on the third day and had retired hurt on 31.

Milne and Rouse had already extended the contest into a fourth day and they took their stand beyond 50 before Notts took the second new pink ball.

It almost brought a wicket straightaway but Rouse was spilled at third slip by Brendan Taylor, off Fletcher. The same bowler did not have to wait for long before making amends, to the immense relief of the small band of home supporters who had turned up.

New Zealand international Milne, who had been dismissed first ball on the opening day, reached his 50 with a push through the off side for two, getting there from 87 balls, but he drove at the next delivery and nicked behind for 51.

In gloomy conditions, even with the floodlights on, last man Mitchell Claydon defied the home attack for half an hour before the innings ended with the fall of Rouse.

Having batted resolutely for 142 minutes, the Kent gloveman changed tack and heaved Mullaney high over the mid-wicket rope for six. Next ball he attempted a repeat but could not clear Samit Patel on the same fence.

Sensing an imminent downpour Notts rushed out Alex Hales to open the batting with Mullaney but before a ball could be bowled the rain returned and the umpires led the players from the field.

The draw was an unexpected reward for Kent, who had faced an uphill battle since the first session of the match when they had been reduced to six for three after becoming the first visiting side to Trent Bridge to bat first this season.

After losing to Worcestershire last week Kent now turn their attentions to next week's home championship match against Northamptonshire. The eight points they take from Trent Bridge keeps them third in the table, 39 points behind the leaders, with a game in hand.

Nottinghamshire were left to gather just 12 points from a contest that they always looked like winning points and their attention now switches to white ball action and Saturday's trip to Lord's for the Royal London One-Day Cup final against Surrey.

Their hopes have suffered a slight setback with the confirmation that Jake Ball's knee injury will prevent him from playing.

Day three report

Nottinghamshire are closing in on their sixth victory of the Specsavers County Championship season after reducing Kent to 214 for seven on a rain-shortened third day at Trent Bridge.

The visitors lead by only 23 runs and there is some doubt as to whether Darren Stevens will bat again after he retired hurt shortly after ducking into a short ball from Harry Gurney, who has taken three for 61.

Persistent drizzle prevented any play until 5.45pm and the resumption enabled Joe Weatherley to begin a meaningful role in the contest.

Having acted as 12th man for the first two days Weatherley, the nominated substitute for the Lions-bound Sam Billings, continued the Kent innings alongside Will Gidman.

Still trailing by 86 runs at the start of play, the visitors survived for 45 minutes until Steven Mullaney entered the attack and bowled Gidman for 26.

Stevens, who had missed most of the second day with a heel injury, had a life on 15 when Luke Fletcher put down a difficult chance running backwards at mid-off. Stevens was then struck on the head but after extensive checks by the physio, plus a change of helmet, he decided to play on.

Weatherley's resistance was breached by the returning James Pattinson, who bowled the Hampshire loanee with a rapid yorker for 16.

Before another ball had been bowled Stevens decided to retire hurt, walking off under his own steam.

The double departure left two new men at the crease but their partnership was brief as Matt Coles nicked his second delivery behind.

Adam Rouse and Adam Milne held firm, either side of a 20-minute stoppage, to push their side into the overall lead and have added 47 together so far.

But they may need the help of some extended bad weather to avoid a second consecutive defeat.

Day two report

Steven Mullaney's career-best score helped put Nottinghamshire in control of their day-night Specsavers County Championship clash with promotion rivals Kent at Trent Bridge.

The 30-year-old opener made 168, hitting 23 fours and two sixes off 276 balls, while Alex Hales added 85 as Nottinghamshire made 371 in reply to Kent's first-innings 180.

The visitors were then reduced to 105 for four at the close in their second innings - still 86 runs adrift - although it could have been even worse without an unbroken 42-run stand between Sam Billings (39) and Will Gidman (12).

However, Billings will now be retired not out as he heads off on England Lions duty and will take no further part in the game. His place will be taken by Joe Weatherley.

While Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire are eyeing a sixth win of the season, they did have some cause for concern at the end of day two with England fast bowler Jake Ball having left the action early in the Kent second innings.

With the Royal London One-Day Cup final just a few days away and a Test series to follow, Nottinghamshire will be hoping it is nothing serious.

Aside from that, however, the home side can feel pleased with their day's work. Resuming from their overnight position of 135 for three, Nottinghamshire flew out of the blocks when play began at 2pm, with six boundaries coming within the space of 18 deliveries.

Hales brought up his first championship 50 of the season from 104 balls as the partnership stretched into three figures. Shortly after bringing up his hundred Mullaney launched Gidman back over his head for the first six of the match.

The pink ball was then clubbed to all parts as Nottinghamshire went through the gears and the introduction of Joe Denly's spin seemed to tempt Hales even more.

He launched his fourth delivery into the stand for six but then attempted a repeat and holed out to Sean Dickson.

Kent did not help their cause, with substitute fielder James Tredwell spilling two chances at slip to reprieve Riki Wessels on 11 and Mullaney, just before the centurion was eventually dismissed by Matt Coles.

As the hosts pushed to keep the game moving forward they lost their remaining wickets in quick order as Gidman removed Wessels and Luke Fletcher, and Coles, who finished with three for 99, bowled James Pattinson.

Ball made 19 before top-edging to short third man and Harry Gurney was run out without scoring, leaving Chris Read undefeated on 20.

Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond made an unbeaten 84 in the first innings but had only added six in the second before being bowled by Ball, who was then escorted from the field by the physio after stretching and flexing his leg.

Denly, Dickson and Sam Northeast all completed miserable matches with the bat by falling cheaply for a second time, with Gurney picking up two of the wickets and Fletcher the other. 

Day one report

A fiery burst from James Pattinson set the tone for another day of dominance from Nottinghamshire as they bundled Kent out inside two sessions of their Specsavers County Championship match at Trent Bridge.

The unbeaten Division Two leaders maintained their proud record of securing maximum bowling points in every match this season by dismissing the visitors for just 180 in 54 overs.

Pattinson did the early damage, before finishing with three for 30, whilst Steven Mullaney, who enjoyed a fine all-round performance, worked his way through the lower order in claiming three for two from just three overs.

The only real defiance from Kent came from opener Daniel Bell-Drummond, who carried his bat for an undefeated 84, having hit 10 fours from the 169 deliveries he faced.

In the final session of the day, played under floodlights, Kent's bowlers were held at bay by an unbroken partnership of 83 between Mullaney and Alex Hales as Notts closed on 135 for three, only 45 behind.

For the first time this season an opposing captain opted to toss the coin in Nottingham and Kent's Sam Northeast chose to bat once he had won it.

Just 5.2 overs later, the wisdom of that decision might have been questioned as Pattinson picked up his third wicket within the space of eight deliveries to leave the visitors on six for three.

The Australian speedster blasted a gaping hole through the Kent top order by removing Sean Dickson and Joe Denly to lbw decisions and then had Northeast taken at second slip. All three batsmen departed without getting off the mark.

Sam Billings, fresh from England duty on Sunday, played a frenetic knock of 30 from 32 balls before losing his middle stump after playing a loose drive at Luke Fletcher.

Darren Stevens was equally culpable, throwing his hands at the same bowler and nicking behind to Chris Read for 10.

Bell-Drummond reached his fifty in the first over of the second session, getting there from 99 balls with eight fours.

Will Gidman, who left Trent Bridge for Canterbury at the end of last season, twice survived streaky nicks into the slip cordon before being castled by Harry Gurney, who uprooted his former team-mate's middle stump for 25.

Mullaney needed just three deliveries to add his name to the list of wicket-takers, having Adam Rose caught at slip for 22.

The same bowler then nipped out Matt Coles and New Zealand's Adam Milne - for a golden duck on debut - leaving Jake Ball to bring the innings to a close with the scalp of Mitch Claydon.

Nottinghamshire's openers survived for almost 14 overs, in the twilight period, before Stevens struck for the 39th time this season, having Jake Libby caught at slip for 16.

Samit Patel's fabulous streak of high scores came to an end when he was bowled for just four by Coles. The batsman had arrived at the crease off the back of consecutive double-hundreds and should have gone for nought after being dropped by Denly in the gully.

The bowler, Milne, could not disguise his disappointment, two balls after he had picked up his maiden wicket in county cricket by having Brendan Taylor caught behind.

Mullaney appeared to be struggling with some ailment and had several visits from the Notts physio on his way to making 50 from 91 balls and reached stumps on 63 not out, with Hales unbeaten on 28.