Adams stars as Nottinghamshire open their campaign in style

Nottinghamshire 26 for 1 and 327 beat Hampshire 131 and 218 by eight wickets
Scorecard

To the doubters who questioned whether a Nottinghamshire side that stumbled over the line to win the 2010 County Championship could defend their title, here was the retort that captain Chris Read and coach Mick Newell so desperately wanted.

Andre Adams, the 35-year-old New Zealander whose 68 wickets last season gave Nottinghamshire the right to feel worthy winners, was the architect - or, more accurately the co-architect - of a three-day victory over Hampshire that emphasised many of the qualities on which success in 2010 was built.

Read's team had been beaten heavily by MCC in the curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi, which only reinforced the belief among their doubters that their batting was too fragile and their bowling too lacking of real edge, especially with Ryan Sidebottom gone, to win the title two years in a row.

But the key absentee in the desert, of course, was Adams, whose return from a season back home was delayed until last Monday. Remarkably, he stepped off the plane having played no cricket for virtually two months because of a side strain. Yet there was no sign of rustiness whatsoever.

After taking 5 for 45 in Hampshire's first innings on Thursday, Adams topped that with 6 for 31 as the south coast side crumbled to 131 all out second time around. After Samit Patel's century for Nottinghamshire on Friday had provided the fabric for a halfway lead of 109, the home side had to score just 23 runs to collect a 22-point victory, which they managed for the loss of only Paul Franks.

The combined haul gave Adams career-best match figures of 11 for 76. So easily had he slipped back into last season's rhythm that it was as if the wickets with which he clinched Notts' title at Old Trafford last September had been taken yesterday, rather than six months ago.

The value of Patel's 116 - aided, it should be restated, by some poor slip catching by Hampshire, but for which he might have scored none - was clear as Hampshire soon began to see their first-innings deficit as a daunting one after openers Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson fell cheaply to Luke Fletcher and Charlie Shreck.

Once Adams had torn out their middle order, it seemed they might not even force Nottinghamshire to bat again. With the ball swinging readily and still something in the pitch, Adams was in his element, nipping one back to trap Neil McKenzie with only his second ball and then taking three wickets in the space of nine deliveries.

Johann Myburgh was the victim of another full inswinger, Sean Ervine had no answer at all to a ball that took his off and middle stumps as Adams came around the wicket to the left-hander and Nic Pothas - batting with a runner - hung out his bat at one outside off stump that Read pouched routinely. That left Hampshire reeling at 56 for 6.

Friedel de Wet, a little unlucky to see the ball roll off his pads on to the stumps, and Danny Briggs, who edged to first slip, were victims five and six, with Shreck and Fletcher mopping up the rest.

Only James Vince, who played some classy shots in an unbeaten 59, batted with sufficient vigilance, although Adams bowled brilliantly at times, overshadowing a performance of some merit from Hampshire's David Griffiths, who relished the friendly conditions too to finish with a career-best 6 for 85.

Adams can really do little wrong, with bat or ball, having started the day by ensuring the home side did not miss out on a third batting point after closing day two on 293 for 9.

With Charlie Shreck in the picture, 10th wicket partnerships for Nottinghamshire have a limited life expectancy so it was by no means guaranteed that they would pick up the extra seven runs. Moreover, Adams rarely favours the steady, sensible approach with a bat in his hand but here he waited at least until four byes fired down the leg side from de Wet brought up the 300 before opening his shoulders. In the end, he landed a couple of hefty maximums in a 40-ball 37, which made things all the more difficult for Hampshire.

Adams makes a modest hero. "I'm lucky to play here," he said. "Trent Bridge has great tradition and there have been some great New Zealanders who have played here. Wickets were always going to come on this deck. It was always going to swing and there was a little bit of seam. You can't underestimate Samit's innings, a hundred at Trent Bridge, especially early in the season.

"I picked up a bit of a side strain at the end of a fairly tough season in New Zealand and I probably needed the rest. The key was to maintain the discipline I had last year and I've come back in good rhythm.

"Mick (Newell, the coach) and Ready (captain Chris Read) trust me virtually to do what I like with the ball. It always swings here and I just try to bowl maidens and be tricky and if the wickets come, they come.

"I don't feel under extra pressure this year. We've lost Ryan (Sidebottom) but we have some good young bowlers coming on such as Luke Fletcher and Andy Carter and my role as a senior player is to give them someone to look up to."