TRENT BRIDGE (second day of four): Nottinghamshire, with six first-innings wickets in hand, are 118 runs behind Middlesex
IT HAS taken some time for Charlie Shreck to play his way back into the Nottinghamshire team, but his return from injury is looking increasingly convincing. Last year, while his team-mates were becoming county champions, the 6ft 7in Cornishman suffered a back injury that ruled him out of the entire season. Having recovered his fitness, he was unable to force his way back into the championship side until last week, but on his return he took a five-wicket haul against Hampshire.
Yesterday afternoon, in his first championship match at Trent Bridge for 23 months, he celebrated his homecoming with a four-wicket burst that hauled Nottinghamshire back into this game.
From a promising overnight position of 210 for three, Middlesex lost their last seven wickets for 57 runs, slumping to 276 all out, with Shreck taking four for 14 in a 40-ball spell. Stephen Fleming, the Nottinghamshire captain, then made his first half-century of the season to stabilise his side after they had slipped to 71 for three, before his departure in the final over.
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If the hosts, bottom of the table and without a win, are seeking inspiration in recovering from unpromising positions, they need only to look at Shreck. After a year and a half on the sidelines, he made his initial return in February with Wellington in New Zealand, taking 15 wickets in three matches. He took seven wickets against Durham UCCE in April and six against Hampshire last week. With yesterday’s haul, Shreck has taken 32 wickets in six first-class matches since returning.
On Tuesday, he had looked out of sorts and bowled too short, but yesterday he found his rhythm and just a touch of swing. He persuaded Scott Styris to find one of the two men waiting on the leg-side boundary for a miscued hook, then had Eoin Morgan and Ben Scott caught driving and found steep bounce to have Johann Louw caught behind.
Seven Middlesex wickets had fallen in 21 overs, to which the first three home batsmen could soon be added. It needed Fleming, striking 13 fours in his 75, to restore order with David Hussey, but more of the same will be needed today.