Pattinson condemns Leics to thumping defeat

Nottinghamshire 548 for 9 (Patel 247, Taylor 61, Broad 50*, Klein 6-142) beat Leicestershire 134 (Pattinson 5-33) and 134 (Fletcher 3-16) by an innings and 280 runs
Scorecard

Another ruthlessly efficient bowling performance from Nottinghamshire swept them to their fifth victory of the Specsavers County Championship season and strengthened their lead at the top of the Division Two table.

After being bowled out for 134 in their first innings Leicestershire struggled just as badly the second time around and, with Ben Raine unable to bat due to injury, they succumbed for exactly the same total, to lose by an innings and 280. Luke Fletcher took 3 for 16 and James Pattinson bagged 3 for 38 - giving him a haul of 8 for 71 - as the match was wrapped up just after lunch on the third day. Clint McKay hit his way to an unbeaten 41 from 24 balls but by then the contest was almost over.

Stuart Broad only bowled one over before leaving the field but by that stage the visitors were five wickets down and spiralling to their second heavy defeat against Notts this season.

Pattinson had helped himself to five Foxes wickets during the previous day and needed only five deliveries to add to his tally as Leicestershire began their second innings after being made to follow-on 414 behind. Pattinson took eight wickets when the sides met at Leicester in early April and another four in the Royal London Cup clash between the two sides at Welbeck and made the early breakthrough by having Paul Horton caught behind for 6.

Jake Ball also struck in his opening over, with Brendan Taylor taking a sharp catch at third slip to remove Harry Dearden, who has fallen for 12, 0, 6 and 0 against Notts this season. Mark Cosgrove made 22 before falling lbw in Luke Fletcher's first over to leave the innings in tatters at 49 for 3.

Fletcher struck twice more, dismissing Colin Ackermann by the same method and then had Mark Pettini caught at second slip. Steven Mullaney removed Ned Eckersley for 20 and with the final ball of the morning session Pattinson nipped out Lewis Hill to bring the finishing line even closer.

Hill had received treatment earlier in the over after being struck on the helmet and had earlier survived a catch at slip after the umpires ruled it had come off the forearm rather than the glove or bat.

McKay hit Mullaney for two sixes in a bold act of defiance but at the other end Dieter Klein was yorked by Pattinson and then Gavin Griffiths nicked Ball into the hands of second slip, condemning Leicestershire to their heaviest innings loss since 1932.

Nottinghamshire gained the full 24 points from their victory and face promotion rivals Kent under the Trent Bridge floodlights next week, whilst Leicestershire only gathered two bonus points ahead of their next fixture against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.