Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast, form, prediction and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the LV= Insurance County Championship...
Fixture: Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire
Venue: Trent Bridge
Dates: Thursday, May 20, 2021 - Sunday, May 23, 2021
Start time: 11am
What's the lowdown?
Worcestershire fell to their first defeat of the season last week, as Durham comprehensively polished them off to secure a 258-run victory. Despite that loss and their search for a first win of the campaign, they sit in fourth place, with only a six-point gap between them and league leaders Essex. If they can secure their first win, it'll keep alive their slim hopes of a top-two finish.
Nottinghamshire are on an upward curve, having won two on the trot having spent two years waiting for a Championship win. They have found their feet in the new-look competition and sit in third, three points ahead of Worcestershire.
Who's in form?
Worcestershire’s Ed Barnard has been exceptional with bat and ball this year, scoring 324 runs and taking 12 wickets. He has received some excellent support from Brett D’Oliviera (12 wickets) and Jake Libby (545 runs at 77.85), who remains second in the Championship batting averages list.
After a barren spell, Haseeb Hameed has returned to the form that saw him selected for England in 2016. With two hundreds and two fifties to his name, he boasts a strong average of 56.25 alongside his 450 runs. Luke Fletcher has been Notts' strongest bowler by far, claiming two match-winning five-wicket hauls. He has 21 wickets at 14.95 this season.
Last five first-class matches (most recent first)
Nottinghamshire: WWDLD
Worcestershire: LDDDD
Head-to-head first-class record
Total matches: 132
Nottinghamshire wins: 46
Worcestershire wins: 36
Tied: 1
Draws: 49
Abandoned: 2
What's the team news?
Nottinghamshire: Notts have named an unchanged ahead of the visit of Worcestershire - the same one that thrashed Essex by an innings and 30 runs on their last outing
Squad: Steven Mullaney (c), Stuart Broad, Zak Chappell, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett, Joey Evison, Luke Fletcher, Haseeb Hameed, Lydon James, Tom Moores, Dane Paterson, Liam Patterson – White, Ben Slater.
Worcestershire: Alzarri Joseph returns for Worcestershire after being rested against Durham. There is no place for Gareth Roderick and Charlie Morris.
Squad: Jake Libby, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Fell, Jack Haynes, Brett D'Oliveira, Riki Wessels, Ben Cox, Ed Barnard, Joe Leach, Alzarri Joseph, Dillon Pennington, Josh Tongue
Latest Nottinghamshire news: Click here
Latest Worcestershire news: Click here
Who's said what?
After claiming back-to-back Championship wins, Notts coach Peter Moores is buoyed by the momentum his side are carrying into the clash with Worcestershire.
"We will take a lot from the last two games, particularly beating Essex who we know are strong, having been champions two years in a row," said Moores.
"The momentum from that is very real and gives energy and confidence to everybody.
"The key is now the to take the confidence from playing well but to keep the hunger as though you haven’t got those results behind you in some ways. That way, you can maintain that same level of drive."
Still without a win heading into the seventh round of the Championship, head coach Alex Gidman has sympathy with the task facing Worcestershire with the likes of Nottinghamshire, Essex and Warwickshire for company in Group One.
“It is an extremely tough group, and we know the other teams when they are at full strength, are tough teams to beat," he said.
“However, we’ve got a great culture, a great belief in our group that we can take anyone on, and the lads will try their absolute utmost to do that again this week.
“it’s a very tight group and, with the weather and some of the wickets we’ve played on, we haven’t had many games I feel we could have genuinely won.
“I’m really pleased with the points we’ve got and, for this group of players to be in the mix as we are against the teams we are playing, shows what a great job they’ve done so far.
“We will take this game as it comes, try and get as many points as we can, and then move onto the next one.”
What's the weather forecast?
It looks to be a damp match up in the East Midlands, with rain forecast sporadically from Thursday through till Sunday. A high of 14 degrees will ensure another chilly clash is likely.
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Trent Bridge: Click here
How do I follow the match?
TV/stream: Nottinghamshire will offer live coverage of the match via their website: Click here
All County Championship matches are also available via the ECB's central hub: Click here
The matches can also be viewed on mobile via the ECB app.
Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry ball-by-ball radio commentary of the game.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and daily updates from every County Championship match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Going to the game?
Tickets: £10-£20 - click here for more details
Travel
Address: Trent Bridge, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 6AG
Car Parking: Car parking for all LV=Insurance County Championship matches is available at Notts Sports Ground (Lady Bay, postcode NG2 5AA), priced at £3 (£2 for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club Members)
By Bus: Regular bus travel is available to the ground, with bus stops situated on Bridgford Road and Radcliffe Road.
By Train: The ground is approximately a 20-minute walk from Nottingham Train Station towards West Bridgford and over the bridge, with regular buses also along the route.
On foot: If you live locally and you’re not sure of the best route, try www.walkit.com, select ‘Nottingham’ from the drop-down menu and type ‘Trent Bridge Cricket Ground’ into the destination box. It will give you directions and suggest the most efficient route.
Prediction?
Nottinghamshire are soaring at the moment, whilst Worcestershire are heading in the opposite direction. If it were not for the weather, it would seem a certain victory for the home side. As it stands though, a draw seems the most likely outcome.
OTHER ROUND SEVEN PREVIEWS
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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