(REUTERS) – County champions Nottinghamshire slumped to a 174-run defeat to the MCC inside three days of the traditional pre-season curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi. Rahul Dravid’s century allowed the MCC to take a dominant 467-run lead early in yesterday’s play, and Nottinghamshire never looked like saving the match after falling to 21 for four in their second innings.
Afghanistan seamer Hamid Hassan and Toby Roland-Jones did the early damage and while Nottinghamshire’s middle order rallied, they were eventually bowled out for 293.
The champions had been up against it from the moment they were bowled out for 108 to concede a first-innings deficit of 110.
Dravid resumed yesterday on 81 not out with the MCC 300 for five and went on to reach 106 before being bowled by England reject Samit Patel. Dravid’s 183-ball innings contained 21 fours.
The representative side’s lower order crumbled as they were dismissed for 357, Luke Fletcher finishing with four for 63, but that was enough to set Nottinghamshire a sizeable target.
They slumped to 21 for four as Roland-Jones (three for 49) picked up the early wickets of Neil Edwards and Patel, while Hassan (three for 82) removed Mark Wagh and Alex Hales, but Ali Brown (55) and Chris Read (51) put on 111.
Steven Mullaney (62) and Paul Franks (73) carried on that good work with a stand of 130, but the last four wickets fell for 31 runs to end matters before stumps on the third day. (PA Sport)