Read found pitch 'depressing'

Chris Read bemoaned Nottinghamshire's home conditions after the 203-run defeat against Hampshire finally ended their Championship hopes. They entered the match knowing a win would give them a second title in four years, but lost control after a first-innings collapse.

It was their third Championship defeat of the season - the others coming against Kent and Sussex - and all have been at Trent Bridge, leading Read to question the absence of home advantage. The surface against Hampshire was slow and low, reducing the effectiveness of their seam attack - especially the tall pair of Darren Pattinson and Charlie Shreck - which has been a strength this season.

"It wasn't entirely how we hoped it [the pitch] would play," Read said. "I found it quite depressing yesterday - you may have seen me shaking my head - when I was stood up to Mark Ealham and Charlie Shreck and balls were hitting me on the boot straps. A guy bowling from 6' 7'' shouldn't have the keeper stood up.

"The pitch was disappointing, it did blunt our seam attack," he added. "It didn't go according to plan. In the past Trent Bridge has been our fortress, but this year it hasn't. Our three losses have been here and we need to turn that around. We need to work with all the staff to make sure it becomes our fortress again."

Another factor Nottinghamshire could look at is their batting. Only one player, Mark Wagh, passed 1000 runs - although Samit Patel ended on 970 from 13 matches - and it was their first-innings collapse from 172 for 3 to 211 all out that cost them this match. However, Read didn't want to single out his batsmen, who had little chance of chasing down the huge final-day total.

"Looking around the country as a whole it hasn't been a great year for batsmen, with only a few topping 1000 runs," he said. "Our batting points are not to be sneered at. We haven't done as badly as it may have seemed here and it hasn't been as big a weakness as has been made out. It can be more a sign of the weather conditions."