Cricket stumps: Gillespie hails effort as Yorkshire draw with Notts

Nottinghamshire batted through the final day to secure a draw from their LV= County Championship fixture against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge.

The home side had begun the final day 61 runs ahead but managed to extend their second innings into the final session before the two captains were happy to shake hands at the start of the final hour.

Chris Read top-scored for Notts, making an unbeaten 83 and was there at the close as his side reached 354 for seven at the time of the declaration.

Earlier, Samit Patel made 76 and Riki Wessels scored 43 as the visiting attack was thwarted on a pitch that offered little assistance to any of the bowlers.

Will Gidman, who had batted out of position as nightwatchman on the third evening, made 13 and lasted for a further 45 minutes at the start of the day, before being drawn into nicking Steven Patterson behind.

The other wicket to fall during the opening session was that of James Taylor, who had battled his way to 35 before playing a shot totally out of character in lifting Will Rhodes into the hands of substitute fielder Moin Ashraf, down at long leg.

Patel had survived a confident lbw shout from the first ball he faced, from the bowling of Patterson, but then found his range with a succession of crisp drives, both straight and through extra cover.

He reached his 50 from 75 balls, with seven fours, but threw away the chance of a century when flashing hard at Rhodes and edging through to wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd.

Wessels hoisted the part-time spin of Jack Leaning high over midwicket for the first six of the day but the bowler struck back by finding the outside edge.

Nottinghamshire would still have been anxious when Wessels fell to Leaning, four deliveries before the second new ball became available but Read and Vernon Philander, who made 38 not out, prevented any further mishaps as they extended their unbroken eighth wicket into three figures after tea.

Read secured his third not out of the current Championship campaign - and extended his average to 252 - before accepting Andrew Gale’s handshake with 18 overs remaining.

Both sides take 11 points from the fixture, with under-strength Yorkshire clearly emerging the happier, having not lost any ground to a title rival whilst missing several key players to international calls and injury.

Although still unbeaten, it is the first time since 2006 that Nottinghamshire have failed to win either of their opening two County Championship matches.

Yorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie added: “I thought it was a great effort by our lads but full credit to Chris (Read) and Vernon (Philander), in particular, because we couldn’t break that partnership.

“We were a bit disappointed because we felt we were in with a chance of winning the game but once they got together it proved difficult indeed.

“Having said that, with the view that we are without so many players on Test duty in the West Indies and also with Ryan Sidebottom out injured, the opening games have proved to be a decent return for us.

“We would have been quite happy to chase something like eight runs an over in the final session if we had been able to manufacture it.”