COVERED SPRING 2021

Nottinghamshire went into the 1981 season without a County Championship pennant for over half a century. But the Notts side of Rice, Randall, Hassan and Hadlee emphatically put that right. Forty years on, club historian Peter Wynne-Thomas recalls the victorious campaign. STORY BY Peter Wynne-Thomas Did Malcolm Nash, the Glamorgan captain of six sixes fame, deliberately deliver a no-ball at the moment Nottinghamshire clinched the 1981 title? Whilst a win is a win, sending down a no-ball rather than allowing PaulTodd the opportunity to strike a glorious boundary could, I suppose, rather demerit Notts’ success. No matter! Notts had 283 points on the morning of Saturday 12 September and headed the table, with Sussex close behind on 279. The Green and Golds faced Glamorgan at Trent Bridge whilst, down at Hove, Sussex’s visitors wereYorkshire. The last time the title had been in Notts’ hands was in 1929, some 52 seasons previous. Poor Sussex hadn’t been the leading county since 1855. If both counties secured 16 points for a win, then the number of first innings bonus points would decide the title.The maximum available to be collected were eight, equally divided between batting and bowling. Clive Rice, the Nottinghamshire captain, was a leader renowned for his dedication to fighting for a win come what may. He put Glamorgan in to bat and they were dismissed before lunch for just 60, Notts securing the full four bowling bonus points. Richard Hadlee took 4-18, Rice chipped in with 2-14 and Kevin Cooper had analysis of 4-25. THE 1981 TRIUMPH COVERED 32 TRENTBRIDGE.CO.UK