KOKOMO, Ind. – Early morning rains at Kokomo Speedway and the continued threat of precipitation through the day forced USAC officials to cancel Sunday night’s scheduled finale to Indiana Midget Week.

The quarter-mile bullring was set to play host to the sixth and final night of the week-long sojourn, with a tussle between Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports and Clauson-Marshall Racing set to take center stage, but the two powerhouses will remain tied at two wins each for the week after the rainout.

USAC and Kokomo Speedway officials are looking into scheduling possibilities for the potential addition of a NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series race at the track later in the season.

As a result of the finale being rained out, defending USAC national midget champion Logan Seavey earned the Indiana Midget Week points title, with a win and four top-three finishes in five nights.

Seavey was victorious during the opening night of Indiana Midget Week at Montpelier Motor Speedway on Tuesday, but slipped to 12th on Wednesday at Gas City I-69 Speedway and had ground to make up.

He did just that for the rest of the week, however, earning back-to-back second place finishes at Lincoln Park Speedway and Bloomington Speedway that propelled him into the point lead when teammate and chief rival Tanner Thorson flipped early in Friday night’s feature at Bloomington.

Thorson’s last-place finish, combined with Seavey’s podium effort, gave the Sutter, Calif., native a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

However, Seavey punctuated his title run with a third-place finish on Saturday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway, putting the points lead virtually out of reach after Tyler Courtney cut a tire late in the feature and fell out of contention at the three-eighths-mile oval.

That left Seavey to wear the crown with his No. 67 Mobil 1 Bullet/Toyota team, as he finished 36 points clear of Thorson in the final standings.

“Our car was consistently fast this week,” said Seavey. “In all honestly, I think we should have won four races this week. We had the lead the one time (at Lawrenceburg) and the caution came out. We built a little bit of a points buffer for the week and we’re starting to close the gap for the overall points lead.

“It’s just a bummer that we couldn’t finish it off on the track at Kokomo, but it’s an honor to be the Indiana Midget Week champion,” Seavey added. “A lot of great drivers have won that title before and it’s really special to me to add my name to that list.”

Seavey becomes the 11th driver to win an Indiana Midget Week championship in its 15-year history. It’s also the fifth title for Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports in the last seven editions of IMW.

Past champions of Indiana Midget Week include Shane Cottle (2005-06), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Tracy Hines (2008, 2010 co-champion), Bryan Clauson (2009, 2011, 2016), Brad Kuhn (2010 co-champion), Darren Hagen (2012), Christopher Bell (2013), Rico Abreu (2014-15), Shane Golobic (2017) and Spencer Bayston (2018), who won the title last year for KKM but did not return this year to defend his crown.

The USAC National Midget Series season will resume on June 29 at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, Ill.

CONCORD, N.C. — What makes you want to watch one racer over another?

Is it because he or she wins a lot? Is it an exciting driving style, brash personality, classy attitude or something entirely different?

Through nearly 30 years of working in the racing industry, we’ve seen more than our share of exciting performers.

From A.J. Foyt to Tony Stewart and Billy Pauch to Jack Hewitt, we’ve seen hundreds of racers we’d pay money to watch again in their hey-day.

Today, we are graced with hundreds of exciting and interesting performers in our sport. Thus, we’ve assembled a grid of 15 racers we’d pay to see:

Donny Schatz — There is no one better at race craft in all of racing. Schatz sees things on the track, not only corners ahead, but laps ahead of when they happen. Just when you think he’s beaten, there he is battling for the lead. Love him or hate him, he’s always worth watching.

Tyler Courtney — A midget or a non-winged sprint car; a bullring or a half-mile dirt track, it doesn’t matter. Courtney is frequently the man to beat in USAC national competition. He can win from the front or just as frequently romp through the field.

Max Verstappen — Verstappen is fearless. There’s no driver on the Formula One circuit he’s afraid of and no move he’s not willing to make. As difficult as passing can be in Formula One, Verstappen is often worth the price of admission.

J.D. Beach — You’ve got to love a guy who can win on a dirt track one week and one of the world’s most challenging road courses the next. Beach is one of the country’s top motorcycle racers in both the American Flat Track and MotoAmerica Superbike series.

Colton Herta — Another fast charger who is showing speed on ovals and road courses as evidenced by the 18-year-old’s NTT IndyCar Series victory at Circuit of The Americas.

Ryan Blaney — This third-generation racer is fast on all types of tracks where the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races and he’s not afraid to mix it up — even with his Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. He’s not one to coast and collect.

Kyle Busch — I can hear most of you booing already. But I’m not intimidated and neither is Busch. He’s the best NASCAR driver of this time period. No one else is even close. Talent, attitude and bravado — Busch has it all.

Tyler Erb — It’s always fun to see a younger driver start winning races. That leads to a confident driver and more exciting performances. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series racer Erb is turning heads in his first season racing with the Best Performance team.

Rico Abreu — I don’t generally go to dirt-track races to see drivers tip-toe around the bottom of the track. That’s not something to consider when watching Abreu. He’s usually in the top groove and on the gas.

Christopher Bell — If Bell is driving it, I’m watching it. From outlaw karts to midgets, sprint cars and even the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he’s not only fun to watch, but a contender.

Lance Dewease — This one isn’t all about the driver. Dewease, a Hall of Fame driver, has teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Don Kreitz Jr. and Davey Brown to create the winningest sprint car team in Central Pennsylvania.

Kevin Thomas Jr. — Thomas has the three f’s — fast, flashy and fun. If it’s an open-wheel car, Thomas can drive it and win in it — and he’s usually does so in dramatic fashion.

Bobby Pierce — Second-generation late model driver Pierce has earned the nickname “Smooth Operator,” but speed is his modus operandi. Anywhere in the Midwest and at all of the country’s biggest late model races, everyone is watching Pierce.

Brad Sweet — Last year’s Knoxville Nationals winner Sweet has established himself as a legitimate threat to end Schatz’s reign atop the World of Outlaws standings and his Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 is a fan favorite everywhere he races.

Takuma Sato — It’s simple; Sato is often a hero or a zero, which makes for excitement every time he’s in contention.

SPEED SPORT’s Jacob Seelman chats with USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series rookie Karsyn Elledge, who talks about her learning curve in her first season with the series.

ST. LOUIS -- One of the St. Louis Blues' most effective lines of the season will be reunited with the Stanley Cup on the line, as rookie winger Robert Thomas returns from injury in Game 6 on Sunday night against the Boston Bruins.

The Blues lead the series 3-2 and are seeking their first Cup in franchise history.

Thomas has been missing from the lineup since Game 1 of the Final, with speculation that he's been battling a wrist injury in the playoffs. That was also the game when he was lit up on a hit from Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, although the Blues have steadfastly pushed back on the notion that the hit aggravated the injury.

Blues coach Craig Berube said he asked Thomas about his status after forward Ivan Barbashev was suspended for Game 6 following an illegal check on Boston forward Marcus Johansson.

"He said he could play. He was ready to play, so he feels good enough to play and we need a player," Berube said. "It was always in the back of my mind and obviously his mind, too. he wants to play, he's a gamer-- tough kid -- so he was always willing to play. But I think the time off has helped him, and he's more prepared now."

Thomas was sputtering by the time he left the lineup. He has a goal and five assists in 20 playoff games, but he only managed one assist in his past seven postseason games, skating to a minus-5. But he said he's up for the challenge.

"We've been talking about it for a couple days. I kind of had a feeling. Yesterday was kind of like our testing point where I got out there, was feeling the puck, completing the full practice. That was kind of the good-to-go [moment]," he said. "It's more nerve-wracking watching from upstairs, that's for sure. You're sweating the whole game up there. It's really tough to watch, Your gut's just turning. I'm happy to be back out there."

He returns to a line with Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon that has been dominant for stretches this season. It's a line that generated a plus-3.78 in 34 regular-season games, second best on the Blues. Forward Sammy Blais drops down to play with Oskar Sundqvist and Alex Steen, replacing Barbashev.

"It's awesome," said Maroon of the returning Thomas. "He has a lot of skill, he has speed, he brings a different element to the game, and I think with him on our line, it makes our line a lot better. He drives the engine with his fresh legs and his young talent. It helps us go."

ST. LOUIS -- Down 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, the Boston Bruins are making lineup changes to shake things up.

Boston will revert back to a traditional lineup of six defensemen and 12 forwards in Game 6 on Sunday night in St. Louis, with rookie forward Karson Kuhlman drawing in for the first time since April 30. Defenseman Steven Kampfer will be bumped from the lineup in Game 6.

"It's just a decision we made to be a little different," coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who has been out since Game 2 with a concussion, is still not cleared, according to Cassidy.

Kuhlman, a 23-year-old rookie out of Minnesota-Duluth, has played in six playoff games this spring, registering two assists. However, he has been a healthy scratch since Game 4 of the second-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cassidy said he likes Kuhlman's motor.

Kuhlman will play on a line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, a spot where David Backes has typically played. Backes, a longtime former Blues player, is not expected to play in the pivotal game.

Kuhlman said he's "just excited about" the chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final.

"I think [Cassidy] and I are on the same page," Kuhlman said. "We know what I can do to help this team."

Cassidy said the challenge for Kuhlman -- as it has been with all Bruins forwards -- "is getting inside" St. Louis' big defensive corps.

With captain Zdeno Chara playing in Game 5 with a reported broken jaw, the Bruins opted to dress seven defensemen in a precautionary move. Cassidy said his staff was not sure how much Chara would be able to play, and how playing would affect his breathing.

Chara, however, played 16:42 minutes in the game, although he appeared uncomfortable at times. Nonetheless, the seven-defenseman rotation is not ideal as it doesn't allow for blueliners to find a true rhythm in a game and can overwork forwards that need to double-shift.

The move to insert Kuhman is likely to help get Krejci going as the two have played together at other times this season. Krejci has been held without a point in five games this series.

The Bruins also need more from their talented top line. David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have yet to score a five-on-five goal in this series. Though the top line has been red-hot for stretches during these playoffs, the Bruins have relied heavily on their depth to get them this far. Twenty different Boston players have scored this postseason.

"Your best players need to be your best players, but if they defend well and we have a good defensive game, you know, we're in it, I feel someone will step up," Cassidy said Saturday. "Probably them, because they usually do. But same token, we don't want to put so much pressure on them they get outside their overall game, their defensive game, because they're a good line all around and we don't want them to lose that."

The Bruins are hoping to force a Game 7 on home ice. It would mark the first time the Stanley Cup Final went to seven games since 2011 -- when the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks for their most recent championship.

"We're obviously going to come out with the will and desire to compete, and they are, too," defenseman Torey Krug said. "There's pressure on both sides. If [they] don't win tonight then they have to come into a Game 7 in our building and that's pressure for them, I'm sure. For us, our season could end but we're coming into it with the right mentality that we're going to force a Game 7 and ultimately, it comes down to will and who wants it more."

England's Nikita Parris and Ellen White scored first-half goals as the Lionesses defeated neighbours Scotland 2-1 on Sunday to make a strong start to their women's World Cup campaign.

Phil Neville's team emerged as early leaders of a difficult Group D after a fine attacking display against the debutants at Stade de Nice, with 2015 World Cup runners-up Japan playing their first game, against Argentina, on Monday.

England went 1-0 ahead in the 14th minute when striker Parris fired her penalty past goalkeeper Lee Alexander after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review had confirmed that forward Fran Kirby's cross inside the box had hit defender Nicola Docherty's arm.

They continued to trouble the Scottish defence and doubled their lead through Birmingham City forward White, who collected the ball at the edge of the penalty area and beat Alexander with a curled effort from her left foot in the 40th minute.

Scotland pulled back a goal in the second half as former Manchester City forward Claire Emslie took advantage of a rare defensive error by England skipper Steph Houghton to slot the ball past goalkeeper Karen Bardsley with 11 minutes to go.

"I think at 2-0 in this heat we thought it was going to be easy in the second half. It's a lesson that every game in this World Cup is going to be difficult," Neville said.

"I was pleased with the result. The first game is always the most difficult but we set certain standards and the players know we need to keep meeting them... If we don't, we get second-half performances like we just got. We've got to be relentless now."

The only worry for England on the day was a shoulder injury suffered by experienced defender Millie Bright who had to be substituted shortly after she landed awkwardly following a challenge on Erin Cuthbert.

England meet Argentina in their next match at Le Havre on Friday while Shelley Kerr's Scotland take on world number seven Japan on the same day in Rennes.

"We know we need to win one game, it does not have to be the first game, even if it would have been nice," Kerr said.

"At a competition like the World Cup you need to scrutinise (yourselves) to the max; there were a lot of positives for us in the second half though."

England 233 for 7 (Beaumont 61) beat West Indies 87 for 6 (Campbelle 29, Cross 2-4, Shrubsole 2-12) by 121 runs (DLS method)

Anya Shrubsole shone with the bat and ball to help England to another comprehensive victory - and an unassailable 2-0 series lead - in a rain-affected second ODI against West Indies at Worcester.

Player of the Match Shrubsole smashed two sixes and two four on her way to 32 off just 16 deliveries, lifting England to a highly respectable 41-over total after they lost a cluster of wickets following the first of two rain delays. She then claimed two wickets to put West Indies under immense pressure as they initially chased 244 off 41 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, which was later reduced to 209 off 28 following the second rain interruption.

The gulf between the two sides was shown to be huge during the first match in Leicester, which England won by 208 runs. West Indies put in a greatly improved performance with the ball and in the field in Worcester but at no point during their innings did their batsmen look like threatening the target. Not helped by losing early wickets, they simply did not score anywhere near the run rate required.

Shrubsole - who was disappointed to go wicket-less in Leicester, where she conceded 27 runs off six overs - and Kate Cross were the architects of West Indies' batting demise. Shrubsole finished with 2 for 12 and Cross 2 for 4 to decimate the tourists' chase before it even began.

"It's nice to come out here, whack a few at the end and then get a couple of wickets, hopefully to get my summer kick-started," Shrubsole told Sky Sports. "My batting is something I've worked really hard on . I've probably frustrated many people, many coaches, over the years, not taking it seriously. But it's something I really want to be able to contribute to the team, coming in down the order and having a bit of a swing, it's always fun."

Laura Marsh, playing her 100th ODI, chimed in after the second rain delay with a clever ball that turned back in and bowled Chedean Nation through the gate. At that point West Indies were 42 for 5 and staring at another heavy defeat. Shemaine Campbelle showed flashes of the big hitting West Indies needed, but they were mere glimpses and when she fell on the last ball she was her side's top scorer with just 29 runs off 49 balls.

England opener Tammy Beaumont had built on the fine touch she showed for limited reward in reaching 32 at Leicester, this time reaching 61 off 83 balls.

But a 90-minute rain delay when England were 73 for 1 after 16 overs seemed to upset England's rhythm. Beaumont reached her half-century shortly after the re-start, but she soon became the second wicket to fall in as many balls from Afy Fletcher.

Legspinner Fletcher had Sarah Taylor out lofting a ball on the off-side, where Stacy-Ann King took a juggled catch at the second grab. She then had Beaumont adjudged out lbw with a ball that rapped the batsman on the front pad and looked well in line in real time, while replays suggested there was a chance the ball could have been going a fraction down the leg side.

Fletcher claimed her third wicket three overs later, when she bowled Heather Knight with a ball that was bang on target. When Dani Wyatt sent a thick outside edge to Hayley Matthews at point, England were 153 for 5.

Shrubsole was not the only one to show off England's batting depth. Katherine Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone joined in, Brunt contributing 23 off as many balls and Ecclestone 11 off six, including one six.

It had been a better start for West Indies who bowled to a plan and were much sharper in the field, where captain Stafanie Taylor had described their efforts in last Thursday as "atrocious". Their tactic of bowling wide outside off-stump to an off-side field resulted in some wickets - including the early dismisal of Amy Jones for just 18 - and stemmed the flow of runs initially. But it perhaps didn't yield the number of wickets they would have hoped for, or as quickly.

"Very pleased to see how the bowlers actually bowled today," Taylor told Sky Sports. "For us to come out and bowl the way we did a the English was really good. I'm always impressed with Afy [Fletcher], she's special. We love every minute when we give her the ball, she's always delivering, she's that kind of player."

The sides head to Chelmsford for the third and final match of the series on Thursday before three T20I matches starting the following week.

We live in momentous times. Times which make us question things we thought as indubitable. So the Moon, we're told, is part of Mars; Dwayne Leverock, we now know, has the build of a heavyweight champion; and members of the Rolling Stones could be forgiven for reading about Tory leadership candidates and murmuring "those lads should take it easy".

But, most surprisingly of all, England have the fastest bowling attack at the World Cup. That's England, whose typical answer to the heavy artillery aimed at them on Ashes tours is to pick several fast-medium seamers; the equivalent of tutting a little when confronted by muggers in the street. And then handing over your wallet.

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This is the 12th World Cup but surely the first in which England have had the two fastest bowlers. In the last few days, four England seamers - Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes - have registered 90mph/145kph and two (Archer and Wood) have hit 95mph/153kph. And while there was much to encourage England in Cardiff, perhaps the most eye-catching moment came from one of those fast bowlers.

When Archer bowled Soumya Sarkar, so much pace did the ball have on it that, having clipped the top of the stumps, it carried over the boundary before bouncing again. It wasn't the longest boundary - perhaps 55-60 metres - but it was an unusual and compelling sight that underlined the impression: England have a gem in Archer.

The man himself admitted he had not seen such an incident before. "It's probably the first," he said. "I've seen it go for six off a helmet before. But this is the first time I've seen it go off the stumps."

That reference to a batsman's helmet - a not especially subtle reminder of his pace and hostility - is fast becoming typical. This is, after all, the man who was tweeting way back in 2013 that batsmen would require two helmets when playing against him. So even while he insists that bowling well is more important to him than bowling fast, he makes the point about how fast he's bowling; note the way he says "just 90" mph.

"It's nice to see [high speeds]," he said, "but I'm much more concerned about bowling well. If I bowl at just 90 and I'm bowling well, I'd be much happier than bowling fast and going for six or seven an over."

Equally, when asked if he felt batsmen didn't like facing him, he made the point that he posed physical danger, or at least discomfort, as much as cricketing challenge. "I think you saw someone got hit twice on Saturday," he said. "If I get hit once I don't want to be there anymore really. Imagine getting hit twice…" The (largely) unspoken implication? He's quick. And we'd better not forget it.

His reaction to a question suggesting Wood's pace might be pushing him on was intriguing. "I'm a little bit quicker than him," he said, politely but firmly. And when it was pointed out that Wood actually bowled the quickest delivery against Bangladesh, he simply denied it. "No, he didn't," Archer said, dismissing the idea as if it was preposterous. Eventually he conceded: "It's good competition to have someone at the other end. It pushes you to do a bit better."

It does appear to be working that way. At present, Wood and Archer are trading records like schoolboys might exchange boasts. Moments after Archer set a new mark for the quickest ball of the tournament (95.09mph/153kph), Wood set another one (95.69/154kph). And moments after Archer set a record for the quickest average pace (90.68mph) in an opening spell for England in ODI cricket, since such records began in 2006, Wood set one for the fastest average speed for a bowler in the tournament (86.79mph, versus Archer's 86.75mph). All figures, provided by CricViz, exclude slower balls.

"Only Woody's speed came up [on the scoreboard]," Archer complained with tongue only partially in cheek. "So it was a bit… well, a bit biased really."

Archer has one significant advantage over Wood. For while Wood appears to be permanently on the edge of injury, Archer looks able to generate a similar pace without forcing his body to the brink. He makes the desperately tough task of fast bowling appear relatively easy.

"I feel niggles here and there," he said. "But nothing to stop me from playing. I'll just keep going."

He is certainly not going to want to miss England's next match. While he insisted "it's just another game", the fact it is against West Indies - and we surely don't need to go into Archer's backstory again here - does add piquancy. And his knowledge of the opposition could provide some useful insight for England.

"The West Indies game will only serve to increase interest in Archer. His life has changed radically over the last few weeks and you suspect we're just at the start"

"It's just another game of cricket; same as the last game," he said. "I know them pretty good. I played with a few of the guys at Under-19 level, so it will be good to actually play against them this time.

"I'll be able to share some knowledge, but I do that whenever we play. I played against and with some of the Bangladeshi guys in the BPL and I guess I'll share some knowledge when we play India and Australia. It's not just the West Indies: I've got a pretty good knowledge of most of the prominent batters.

"Some of my family are over right now, too, so they will go to that game. They will just want me to do well."

The game will only serve to increase interest in Archer. So will the Ashes that follow. His life has changed radically over the last few weeks and, you suspect, we're just at the start. One week you can nip to Tesco in your pyjamas, the next you're sharing a sofa with Pauline Quirke on breakfast TV and the papers want to know whose shirts you wear. And despite one underwhelming game against Pakistan - Archer conceded 79 in his 10 overs and was fined for dissent - he seems to be taking it all in his stride. He knows there will be some poor days among the good but he trusts the latter will significantly outnumber the former.

"I never doubted myself," he said. "If you're doubting yourself I don't think you're ready. You probably shouldn't be here if you're doubting yourself.

"I didn't really notice the step up [to international cricket]. I've been playing competitive cricket for the last few years against the same guys, really, so it doesn't really change anything. The only thing that changes is your uniform.

"I don't think I did anything different [on Saturday] than at Trent Bridge. I wasn't cross, I was a bit emotional. Every game I play I'm very emotional. I take my cricket very seriously.

"The wickets change, the batters change, conditions change. You know that sometimes you won't have a good day and the good balls might go for boundaries. You just keep a level head and keep bouncing back."

That attitude, that pace, that hostility: it all bodes well for England.

Hampshire 93 for 2 (Weatherley 47*) trail Nottinghamshire 162 (Abbott 6-37) by 69 runs

Kyle Abbott believes that he made the decision a few months too early to leave South Africa for Hampshire in 2017. Equally, he is entitled to think that his move has at least given him a better chance of honours this summer.

Whether Abbott would have made any difference to a World Cup campaign that can be politely described as faltering is a matter for speculation, and useless speculation at that. What is beyond doubt is his importance to Hampshire as they continue to push for a first Championship title since 1973.

Conditions could not have been more helpful at Welbeck Cricket Club on its well-dressed debut as a first-class venue. The pitch offered good bounce, the sky went through shades of grey rather than blue and a heavy morning shower kept the grass fresh. With his pace, height and power, Abbott merely needed to add accuracy to be a potent force.

Figures of 6 for 37 confirm that he did. He proved incisive at both ends of another paltry Nottinghamshire display and while the loss of four wickets for six runs in 17 balls brought the effort to an abrupt conclusion, culpability rests with the specialist batsmen. Again, they succumbed too easily in first innings: 97 all out against Warwickshire last week, 162 here.

Hampshire have already beaten Notts this season at another ground hosting for the first time, at Newport on the Isle of Wight. The Welbeck club have staged one-day fixtures, but this is a step up. We are deep in former mining territory, surrounded by places such as Shirebrook, Ollerton and Annesley that became synonymous with their collieries. Welbeck's own pit ceased production in 2010.

But the address sites the ground in the little-known village of Sookholme, which may have quietly become the smallest place for a Championship match. It is hard to know. The response to a Google search for "Sookholme population" meets the response: "Do you mean Stockholm population". A man in the press tent claiming local knowledge described it as "a hamlet, but not a very big one".

It was claimed in 2007 that Cresselly had become the smallest county host when Glamorgan played Surrey in a one-day match. The Tenby Observer described it as the biggest-ever sporting event in Pembrokeshire. Cresselly had 13 houses and a resident said that the game had brought the community together, as though those homes were split between the Bloods and the Crips.

Sookholme certainly appears a civilised place. In the early days of foundation, Australian settlements were said to boast a church, a pub and a brothel. Brief research shows that Sookholme has a church, a tropical fish shop and a cricket ground. The latter is all thanks to the philanthropy of an old-school local boy made good.

John Fretwell began his working life as a barber charging 30 pence for a trim. He went on to buy and sell, wheel and deal and ended up a multi-millionaire wholesaler. Cricket was his passion - he was president of Welbeck Colliery CC and a former player - so a decision to put something back into the community was always likely to involve the sport. He bought 19 acres of farmland - probably a fair bit of Sookholme - and development began.

Pride was visible on the face of Fretwell as he shook hands, watched play and told his inspiring story to BBC radio. Short, bespectacled and balding, he bore a striking facial resemblance to the dotage appearance of the county's most famous miner-cricketer, Harold Larwood. Now there's a man you wouldn't have wanted to face in the gloom.

Problems for Notts began in the first over when Ben Slater edged on. Chris Nash fell to Abbott and Joe Clarke drove loosely to second slip, a bad option early in his innings when Abbott's spell was coming to an end. Ben Duckett batted nicely before rain brought an early lunch, only to nudge behind soon after the resumption.

That gave the improving James Fuller a deserved wicket. He found steepling bounce from a length, and things grew worse when Samit Patel undid a sound start by wafting at Abbott. Patel might have been unsettled after a blow in the proverbial groin region in the same over, but the choice of shot was not a good way to win sympathy from the dressing room.

Steven Mullaney showed the way forward by leaving sensibly, adding 51 with James Pattinson. The seventh-wicket pair looked to keep out the bowlers and wait for what they thought they could hit, which Mullaney did spectacularly in hooking Fuller for six. Some of his shots through midwicket reminded of Tim Robinson, one of his predecessors as county captain.

But the loss of Pattinson sparked a collapse. Abbot simply proved too good with a crosswind pushing balls back in to the right-handers. Mullaney did not even have time to attack in the final overs before he edged Fuller behind, and while Luke Fletcher removed Oliver Soames in the third over of the reply, a second breakthrough was almost two hours away.

Bowlers struck the pads regularly and Pattinson seemed particularly confident of at least one appeal. When Jake Ball, at his local club, joined the attack he saw Nash drop Joe Weatherley in successive overs at second slip. The first opportunity was tough, but the second should have been taken. Bowler and fielder both knew it.

Ajinkya Rahane played particularly well in conditions that must have seemed alien, until edging Ball to second slip where Mullaney took a good catch. Ball screamed in released frustration as much as joy, but Weatherley avoided further mishap. Given fair weather, Hampshire have a good opportunity to catch up Somerset, the only side above them. But the forecast is grim.