Stylish captain read helps notts stay in control

Inclement weather has blighted the county cricket calendar this season and there were just 42 overs possible at Trent Bridge as Nottinghamshire finished on 178-5 after losing the toss.

It could have been much worse after they slipped to 84-5, with Stuart Meaker claiming the prize scalps of Samit Patel and James Taylor, while fellow seamers Chris Jordan, Jon Lewis and Tim Linley each took a wicket.

But the stylish Read – who passed 600 championship runs for the season and is closing in on his sixth four-day score in excess of fifty – averted any chance of a collapse in unison with the obdurate Australian Voges to leave honours even when play was abandoned for the day at 5.15pm.

Read will resume on 49 not out while Voges was more watchful in his unbeaten 38 as the pair put on an unbroken 94 for the sixth wicket in 19 overs.

Ben Scott made a fine century as Worcestershire’s lower order thwarted Lancashire at Old Trafford.

The visitors slipped to 93-6 after opting to bat first, with Steven Croft – named in England’s provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in September – taking three top-order wickets.

But wicketkeeper Scott struck 106 and was ably supported by Matthew Pardoe (55), with the pair putting on 127 for the seventh wicket before Worcestershire were all out for 291. Lancashire closed on 13 without loss in reply.

There was just 10.4 overs of play at Taunton, where leaders Warwickshire made 27-1 against Somerset.

After being put into bat, Ian Westwood edged Peter Trego to second slip off what proved to be the final delivery of the day.

Rain also restricted Sussex’s progress at Arundel against struggling Durham. Without a championship victory this season, the visitors struggled to 92-4 after 27.4 overs. Mark Stoneman scored 50 before being trapped lbw by Monty Panesar.