v Sussex LV= at Horsham

Day 3

NOTTS THRASH SUSSEX

Green and Golds complete a crushing innings and 103 run victory

Notts thrashed Sussex in three days at sunny Horsham today taking 16 wickets in the day; their first ever championship victory at Cricket Field Road. 

 The star of the day was Harry Gurney who had his most impressive day with the ball since Liverpool last year, as Notts eased their relegation fears. 

Cachopa didn't last long this morning falling leg before to Hutton for 13. Gurney was getting plenty of pace and bounce from the Railway End and was proving a handful. Ben Brown edged Gurney into Read's gloves for 5, 187 for six.

Luke Wright got to 50 but then edged Gurney to Mullaney at second slip. His innings contained 10 fours. Keedy came on at the Town End and removed Robinson (0) to a catch behind by Read, 198 for 8. The podgy Peter Burgoyne was next to depart, bowled by Luke Wood for 13. Hilda Hobden lasted three balls before falling to the Read-Keedy combination.

Sussex all out 213, Notts having a lead of 357 runs enforced the follow on. Gurney had taken five for 75 and was well supported by Keedy who took 3 for 45. 

With the fifth ball of the follow on Luke Wells edged Wood to Mullaney who took an easy catch at second slip, 0 for one. Sussex went to lunch on 14 for one. 

 Ed Joyce and Machan added 92 runs for the second wicket. Joyce having been dropped by Mullaney at second slip off Gurney when on 31 perished soon after caught by Hales in the gully off Gurney for 32. Shortly afterwards Nash was given a life when he was on two as Hutton spilled the catch, Gurney once again being the bowler. With the score on 124, Hutton having replaced Harry Gurney had Nash leg before for 15. Machan was chancing his arm and reached his ton in 99 balls. A few moments later he edged the returning Gurney into Mullaney's hands at second slip to depart for 108 an innings which contained 13 fours.

Three overs later the struggling Cachopa skied a ball from Samit Patel to Keedy at backward square who took the easiest of catches. Cachopa out for 4, 192 for five. Four balls later, Ben Brown was caught at short leg by James Taylor without scoring as Gurney took his eighth wicket of the match, Notts were now sniffing a three day win. 

Robinson looked all at sea against Gurney but survived as he added 30 runs with the attacking Luke Wright. Luke Wood returned and strangled the former Tyke down the leg side. Wright's breezy innings ended three overs later when he was caught behind by Read off Keedy for a run a ball 67, including two sixes off Keedy. The slow left armer the oldest playing on the county circuit then had Magoffin caught bat pad at short leg by Wessels. Luke Wood delivered the Coup de Grace by removing Burgoyne leg before for 13. Sussex 254 all out at 1756 as Notts had a maximum point victory by an innings and 103 runs.

Gurney had match figures of 8 for 131. Luke Wood took three for 27 in the second innings. Sussex looked a poor outfit in this game feeling sorry for themselves with Anyon, Jordan and Shahzad on the sick list and Michael Yardy announcing his retirement today. Notts look a re-energized outfit under Peter Moores with James Taylor finding for form at last, with the return in recent weeks of Chris Read and the emergence of Brett Hutton. In this game Gurney looked like the bowler we saw in the first half of 2014. Suddenly Notts can look forward to the final two months of the season under somewhat of a renaissance. A win at New Road would go along way to preserving their first division status. Next stop Grace Road for the do or die baseball fixture against the Foxes on Friday. MAG

TAYLOR'S MAMMOTH INNINGS LEAVES NOTTS IN DOMINANT POSITION

Notts ended day 2 in a position of strength after James Taylor hit the highest individual score for a Notts batsman since the Second World War.

 After early morning light drizzle play got under way 30 minutes late. Magoffin got a few to lift from the Railway End but Read and Taylor stood firm and the sixth wicket partnership kept getting bigger and bigger as Sussex paperweight attack wilted. 

Peter Burgoyne came on from the Town End and was hit for two sixes into the Tennis courts behind the arm as Taylor brought in his double ton in 294 balls. The scoring rate increased as home heads began to drop and records were broken. Read got to his ton in 197 balls. The sixth wicket partnership eventually added 365 seven short of the county record as Read edged Hobden into the keeper's gloves. Read's 121 lasted 221 balls with 17 fours and one six. 

Taylor short of form in 2015 was somewhat energized after his match winning innings up in Manchester got to 291 when he was caught at backward point off the returning Magoffin. Taylor was dropped on 80 yesterday by Cachopa at deep mid wicket and how Sussex must have rued that dropped catch. His mammoth knock was the fourth highest score in Notts history and only 21 runs behind Keeton's 1939 record and included 39 fours and two sixes off 385 balls. Notts 30 for three in the 14th over yesterdsy declared on Taylor's dismissal on a colossal 570 for seven declared. 

Sussex got off to a brisk start as Notts opened up Wood from the Town End and Hutton from the Railway End. Hutton was replaced by Gurney who got some pace and bounce from the Railway End and in the eighteenth over, he induced Ed Joyce to edge a catch to Hutton at third slip who took a good catch low to his left. Joyce out for 40 as opening partnership had added 79. 

Machan was then put down at first slip on 0 by Wessels off Gurney but soon after Wells edged into Read's gloves off the left armer as he also departed for 40, 84 for two. Sussex's cavalier approach perhaps did not best suit the game situation as Keedy was introduced into the attack. After getting hit for a couple of sixes Keedy got Nash to edge to Mullaney at first slip for 11, 119 for three. Next over Machan edged Gurney to the captain after he made 15, 123 for 4. Patel was introduced at the Railway End as the light began to close in on a day when the sunshine was never seen again. Patel either bowled too short or too full. But more interestingly Keedy was getting the ball to occasionally turn sharply; a good sign for Notts. The players trooped off 30 minutes early as bad light then light rain ensured no more play. Sussex had reached 157 for four with Wright on 21 and Cachopa on 13. They still trail Notts by 413 runs. Gurney though expensive had proved a dangerous proposition and deserved his three for 54 off 12 overs after his best bowling spell of the season. The day though belonged to Taylor as Notts now are in a strong position to gain a key victory.MAG

Day 1

TITCH TAYLOR'S TON, AS NOTTS PILE 'EM UP

Notts had an excellent first day at Cricket Field Road Horsham in this relegation battle.

 Chris Read won the toss and decided to bat. Notts welcomed back James Taylor and decided to play veteran Gary Keedy on a wicket expected to spin later. Michael Lumb and Jake Ball were dropped from the eleven who played against Middlesex. 

Horsham had heavy rain in the early morning and the wicket had plenty of life over first 90 minutes before flattening out. However they was enough edged shots during the day to suggest wickets can be taken on a surface that may well deteriorate come Wednesday.

Notts got off to a poor start. Hales back opening again edged a ball from Robinson bowling from the Town End which Nash took whilst juggling the ball at second slip. Hales gone for three with Notts eight for one. There was plenty of playing and missing and in the 11th over Hobden who had replaced Magoffin from the Railway End got Brendan Taylor leg before for seven, 14 for 2. 

Mullaney pulled a six, but shortly afterwards edged Ollie Robinson into Brown's gloves to depart for 15. Wessels joined Titch at the crease and played the best innings of the day. Slowly these two rebuilt the innings as batting conditions eased. James Taylor though survived a confident leg before shout that literally knocked him off his feet. Wells came on to bowl off spinners from the Town End and ex Derby man Peter Burgoyne was also given a spin. But Sussex's bowling other than lynch pin Magoffin and Robinson was ineffectual. Wessels in imperious form, got to his 50 in 48 balls. With the third wicket stand worth 144 and Wessels six short of a deserved ton, Riki played a poor shot to be caught at mid on off Robinson. His 94 came off 119 balls with 13 fours and one six. He was kicking himself for missing out on a century for the second time in three days. Patel hit two glorious fours off Burgoyne but next over departed caught and bowled for nine as Robinson picked up his fourth wicket, 186 for five. But this was the last success for Sussex all day as Taylor and the in form Read added an unbroken 172 for the sixth wicket. Both batsman were lucky at times edging just wide of fielders. Taylor got to his 4th ton against Sussex off 190 balls but accelerated towards the close as Sussex took the new ball to no effect. Taylor finished the day on 163 off 247 balls with 23 fours. Read meanwhile was on 54. Notts will be hoping that they do not have their customary day 2 morning collapse and clock up 450 plus to put scoreboard pressure on Sussex. 

The day was well attended with glorious sunny conditions for the main part, there was also a healthy contingent of fans that had come from Nottingham. 

Robinson took four for 86 and Notts were content in defending Magoffin who bowled 24 overs for 40 runs.MAG