v Sussex LV Championship at Hove

Day 4

Weather ruins the day

The predicted rain arrived over night and in the morning but after lunch, play was able to resume.  By tea the Sussex openers were still there, the game descending into a tame draw. 


Before hands were shaken however, Stuart Broad did claim two wickets but Sussex ended the day at 5.00pm on 198/2. Match Drawn

Day 3

Baz batters a century

At tea Nottinghamshire after failing to dismiss Sussex quick enough to enforce (left with a lead of 97 runs), are 175/2 scoring at near 5 runs per over than 4. Significantly Alex Hales is 113* (100 off 96 balls) with looking to push on and declare.

Earlier Ed Joyce ended his innings on 164* - a potentially match saving innings for the South coast county.


After tea Notts and Alex Hales predominantly chased the runs. Hales was eventually out for 167 (6 sixes hit between 100 and 167). Latest 319/4 James Taylor 53*

The declaration is said to be being delayed by poor light (if Broad and Siddle were to bowl) so Notts are batting on.

Notts declared 336/4 with 4 overs to bowl. Sussex need 434 to win.

In the time left Notts didn't make a breakthrough.

Days 1 and 2

PATEL DOMINATES

Notts hold the upper hand on a docile pitch after two days in the Hove sunshine.

Sussex won the toss and inserted Notts as the south coast club were celebrating their 175^th anniversary with a display of vintage cars and reduced admission charge of £1.75.

Patel as he had done in 2013 had playing the innings of the season with his imperious 156 an innings of just 181 balls with 25 fours. On the first half of day 1 Notts had struggled the dogged Phil Jaques survived three dropped catches to get to 67 before being caught behind of debutant Matt Hobden. Hales (16) had replaced Mullaney at the top order and gritted it out for an hour before being dismissed by a slip “catch” by Ben Brown off Anyon, TV evidence later suggested the catch had not been taken cleanly. Michael Lumb looked out of sorts getting 39 before edging Wright to Prior, the England keeper enjoying a mixed innings behind the stumps. James Taylor dropped at third man got to 29 before becoming Hobden’s second victim, 209 for four. Wessels got to 11 before being caught at deep extra and Notts were now 248 for five. The home side were leaking Extras including one instance of the ball striking the helmet off a no ball which meant seven runs being added to the total. In a complete reprise of Taunton match Patel and Read batted through the entire last session as Notts closed on 408 for five. Patel looked head and shoulders above all the rest of the batsman in this match and cannot be far off a Test recall particular as Monty Python has more off the field troubles once again down with Essex.

With Taunton match still very much in the memory the sizable Notts contingent were hoping that Notts would not collapse at the beginning of day 2 but that’s what they did, losing their five wickets for 44 runs with Magoffin picking up four of them. Read fell in the first over of the day edging the Australian top Prior for a typical pugnacious 61. Broad hit two fours before departing leg before. Patel fine innings ended tamely as he was caught at point. Shahzad edged to slip and Adams were bowled first ball for a golden duck without a swing in anger. Notts 452 all out with Magoffin having figures of 4 for 110.

Wells and Nash opened for Sussex and there was a early flashpoint when Broad appeared to be impeded from taking a shy at the stumps by Luke Wells as he went for a quick single as a result Sussex got two due to an overthrow. The Notts team were clearly unhappy but revenge was sweet as Wells played a tame shot to be caught at square leg off the fired up Broad bowling downhill from the Cromwell End. Hamilton Brown lasted four overs before departing leg before as Broad picked his second scalp. Nash (41) who like Ed Joyce seems to get runs against Notts every time he bats against them edged Adams to Patel at slip, 75 for three. Prior became Broad’s third victim departing leg before for 30. Sussex had called for the heavy roller between the innings and the pitch was getting more docile as the day went on but Notts kept chiselling out the wickets. Luke Wright got to 23 before caught behind off Adams bowling from the Sea End, 159 for five. Ben Brown the chief juggler in the Notts innings continued his poor game being leg before for Peter Siddle who had bowled well throughout the day without much luck. Jim Anyon was leg before to Adams for 14 and then three overs later Magoffin was caught and bowled by Patel. Unlike Notts earlier in the day Sussex though were not going to roll over tamely and with the new ball being taken Joyce and Lewis made relatively untroubled progress adding 64 in the last 15 overs of the day. Joyce’s inevitable ton came just before the close as he stood on 104 not out off 194 balls with many of his runs being made behind the wicket on the off side. With a washout promised for the last day, Sussex go into Day 3, 182 runs behind. If the option becomes available, Notts must enforce the follow-on. Notts had bowled well on a typical somnolent Hove pitch and have dominated this match so far. MAG