COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Trent Bridge:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Nottinghamshire 388, Warwickshire 214-9 (Notts 7pts, Warwicks 4pts)
11-14 August 2009

Rikki Clarke bounced back well after a duck last week against Somerset

Rikki Clarke mounted the Warwickshire rearguard action on a day when his more fancied colleagues failed with the bat.

England hopefuls Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott both went cheaply after the Bears were left in deep trouble by quality fast bowling from Ryan Sidebottom.

But they recovered from 94-7 to close precariously on 214-9, still needing another 25 to avoid the follow-on.

Sidebottom (3-33) and Charlie Shreck (3-62) were the main men for Notts in defence of their total of 388.

Left-armer Sidebottom, also in contention for a place in the final Ashes Test at The Oval next week, ripped through the Bears middle order with a devastating spell of swing bowling - taking his tally to 20 wickets in his last four matches at an average of 17.85.

He had his England colleague Bell caught behind for 1, while Sidebottom's new-ball partner Shreck removed Trott for 15 on his way to his best return of an injury-hit season.

Only Clarke looked up to the challenge, with seven fours and a six in his 127-ball stay.

And, after good support from Chris Woakes (22), Naqaash Tahir (24), then Sreesanth (25no), the only letdown was the manner of his unnecessary dismissal, run out attempting a second run to Adams at third man.

Persistent rain meant no play was possible in the morning session but they got underway after an early lunch.

But Sidebottom and Shreck looked threatening from the start but it was the 6ft 7ins Cornishman who struck first, when form-sapped Warwickshire skipper Ian Westwood, who has just two Championship fifties to his name all summer, edged to gully.

Andre Adams repeated the trick in Shreck's next over to dismiss Ant Botha, bringing Bell and Trott together, amidst the intriguing possibility that both were competing for the same spot in the England squad to be announced on Sunday.

But Bell had no answer to Sidebottom, who zipped his first delivery past the right-hander's outside edge and then went one better with his next, which Bell could only follow and edge to wicket-keeper Chris Read.

It was a very similar wicket to the 27-year-old's dismissal at the hands of Australia's Mitchell Johnson in the second innings at Headingley last week and will have done little to convince England's hierarchy of his qualities.

Sidebottom also removed Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose lbw in an opening spell of three for 11 from nine overs, while Shreck's out-swinger was too good for Trott, who edged low to Adam Voges at second slip.

Notts coach Mick Newell told BBC Sport:

"Sidebottom put in an excellent opening spell and has been bowling briskly and finding swing in almost all the matches he's played for us.

"I'd say he's back to his best and certainly in better form than when he last played a Test, in the West Indies in the spring.

"If England want a pitch-it-up swing bowler at The Oval, to compliment what James Anderson does, then he's certainly in there."

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