Nottinghamshire succumbed to their first LV= County Championship defeat of the season when they were beaten by wickets by Sussex at Hove.
Having followed-on, 159 behind, Notts acquitted themselves better second time around in reaching 342 but that left the home side with a victory target of just 184. Thanks to an innings of 88 by Ed Joyce, last years second division champions became the first side to defeat the 2010 Division One winners.
Earlier a swashbuckling 64 from Andre Adams, coupled with fifties from Samit Patel and Adam Voges, enabled Notts to set their hosts a challenging target – although the home batsmen made light work of their task and took only 39.5 overs to score the required runs.
“Apart from the first day when we felt we’d done well to dismiss Sussex for 304 we were comprehensively outplayed." Mick Newell
Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell admitted that his side had been second best during the contest.
“Apart from the first day when we felt we’d done well to dismiss Sussex for 304 we were comprehensively outplayed,” he said.
“That was the only time we really felt we were in the contest.”
Joyce and Nash settled any home nerves with their second century stand of the match.
“Two hundred partnerships was a really good effort for them. We didn’t start particularly well with the new ball – we were a bit slack with it and they got off to the start they wanted,” he added.
Newell emphasised that a vast improvement will be required during next week’s match against Warwickshire. “You’re not going to win every match during a season – we know that – but we need to get this one out of our system quickly and turn it around next week.”
The overnight news ahead of the third day confirmed that Neil Edwards had broken his arm after being hit by Khan on the second day but that Steven Mullaney would be able to bat, after being struck in the face by a ball from Anyon.
Notts batted positively throughout the morning session, adding 119 runs - but they lost five wickets in the process.
From just the second ball of the day Samit Patel worked the single to bring up his second half-century of the contest but he’d only added five more when he steered Monty Panesar into the waiting hands of backward point.
Graeme Swann’s night-watchman role saw him advance to 25 before he was out looking to pull James Anyon – but he only picked out Amjad Khan down at long leg.
Under testing conditions, and against accurate bowling, Adam Voges and Chris Read added 48 runs before the Notts skipper mistimed a pull off Khan – and skied a return catch to the bowler.
Predictably, after being hit in the face during the first innings, Steven Mullaney was met by a barrage of short-pitched stuff from Khan but he bravely got off the mark by hoisting the former Kent man over deep midwicket for a maximum.
The same bowler exacted revenge when Mullaney hit him straight to mid on. Broad went on the offensive and hit a quick-fire 26 before falling just before lunch to a catch at the wicket. His innings had contained four boundaries, plus a majestic swipe for six over the leg-side boundary from the bowling of Panesar.
Voges had made 39 by lunch, with Notts holding a lead of just 95.
Andre Adams began in typically belligerent fashion – hitting three boundaries from his first five balls. Having got his eye nicely in, he then really went on the offensive – blazing his way to a glorious half-century from just 33 deliveries.
A huge six over the old scoreboard at deep square leg was the third maximum hit by the former Kiwi star and brought the total up to 300.
His fourth maximum took him on to 64 but then a splendid diving catch in the deep by Khan broke the resistance. The two southern hemisphere players had plundered 80 runs from just 64 deliveries.
Voges, meanwhile, had passed his own 50 and managed to manipulate the strike with last man Luke Fletcher before falling to Anyon, who collected his eighth wicket of the match.
Ed Joyce and Chris Nash eased to 63 without loss at tea – just 121 away from victory. Upon the re-start they completed their second century stand of the match and progressed to 119 before Samit Patel struck.
Nash advancing down the wicket, was beaten by the flight and turn and was comprehensively stumped for 57. That proved to be the only success for the reigning champions as Joyce, joined by Luke Wells, raced towards the finish line.