TCP VERDICT

Notts and Leicestershire could not be in more contrasting situations in the Championship.

Notts are buoyant, top of Division Two on the back of an eight-game unbeaten start, while their opponents are second from bottom and yet to win after being thrashed by an innings and 280 runs at Trent Bridge.

It is not unfair to suggest the Leicestershire camp is an unhappy one given the manner of their defeat.

Their first move was a defensive one as they chose to bowl under blue skies in the middle of a heatwave when faced with an attack of James Pattinson, Stuart Broad, Jake Ball and Luke Fletcher.

That was exactly what Notts needed. Samit Patel is in the form of his life and he hit 247, his second double century in a row.

Leicestershire only scored 21 more runs than Patel as they were twice dismissed for 134.

Pattinson took eight wickets in the match and was too good for the Foxes.

It is hard to believe they will climb the table significantly despite having experienced players. They offered little resistance bar a swashbuckling 41 from 24 balls in the second innings from Clint McKay.

In the longer term they will have to hope an injury suffered by leading wicket taker Ben Raine is not a serious one. It was perhaps a misjudgment for him to bat with a runner in the first innings when in obvious pain. He did not reappear.