An outstanding innings from Samit Patel enabled Nottinghamshire to overcome a poor start and move on to 321-8 by stumps on the first day of their LV= county championship match against Sussex at Hove.
Patel’s 157 was an innings of the highest quality and overdue, he feels.
“I’m pretty happy with the way it went,” said Patel.
“That’s above par." Samit Patel
“Mick said it was my first championship hundred for Notts for something like two years and that’s quite an extraordinary stat. But I’m just delighted that it got the team back into a decent position.”
With Notts surviving the day, Patel feels his side came out on top. “That’s above par – absolutely. If we’d inserted them we’d have hoped to get them out for 250 or less and they couldn’t do that, so I feel we’re ahead in the game right now.”
The only change to the Nottinghamshire side that beat Surrey was the return of the captain, Chris Read, in place of Riki Wessels.
Sussex also welcomed back their skipper after Ed Joyce had been away on international duty with Ireland.
Alex Hales’ struggles in red ball cricket continued as he fell in just the second over of the day, bowled by Chris Jordan.
Jordan then had a hand – literally – in the dismissal of Michael Lumb (10) as the left-hander nicked Magoffin to him at slip. A fine low, diving catch by Jordan made it 22-2 and emphasised the importance of winning the toss.
Ed Cowan and James Taylor doggedly tried to sway the balance of the morning in Nottinghamshire’s favour, as Sussex rotated their four seamers but after a stand of 28 in 14 overs both fell in quick succession.
Taylor (11) nibbled at a sharply-rising ball from Jordan and gave the ‘keeper a catch and at the start of his next over the same bowler took his figures to 7.1-3-10-3 when umpire David Millns gave Cowan (27) out lbw.
Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney safely negotiated the final twenty minutes to reach lunch on 62 for four.
The opening two hours of the match had only seen five boundaries scored. Three more followed in the early part of the afternoon – two to Patel and one to Read who arrived in the middle after Mullaney (5) pushed at Magoffin and edged through to Brown.
Prior to this innings Patel’s Hove record included three fifties from four innings. He was to add to that haul, having found fine support from the lower order.
Chris Read (18) became Jordan’s fourth victim, edging behind – after earlier being gifted five runs after a wild over-throw from Luke Wells.
On just three Paul Franks should have departed but Rory Hamilton-Brown spilled a routine chance off Magoffin at second slip.
From then on the pair punished the tiring attack, with Patel, in particular, stepping on the accelerator to reach his fifty (77 balls, 7x4).
He celebrated by hitting three of his next four deliveries to the fence. With Monty Panesar into the attack Franks went on the defensive, keeping out 27 consecutive dot balls in the lead-up to tea.
After another dot ball Franks broke the drought by punching back-to-back fours to bring up the 200.
He’d moved on to 36 when his innings was abruptly terminated when Anyon nipped one back to remove his middle stump.
The partnership for the seventh wicket had been worth 92 and Patel then found more support as Ajmal Shahzad arrived to keep him company.
Beginning in defensive mode, Shahzad saw out his first 21 deliveries without scoring, which included a drop at slip by Michael Yardy off Anyon.
There was no worry about nervous nineties for Patel as he clubbed Panesar for a mighty six which landed on the roof of the media centre and into the car park beyond.
That took Patel to 97 and he then caressed his next delivery through the covers to bring up his 16th first class century (146 balls, 11x4, 1x6).
Pushing on in the final session the two batsmen punished the second new ball to ensure three batting points were brought up, with Patel reaching his 150 (189 balls, 17x4, 1x6).
A wide from Luke Wright brought up the century stand for the eighth wicket but with the close in sight, Notts lost a crucial wicket.
Patel tried to pull Jordan away but top-edged it – high to Joyce who didn’t have to move from his position at slip.
The wicket was a deserved fifth for Jordan (5-83) but Shahzad was unbeaten on 35 at the close and will look to boost the total on the second morning.