Nottinghamshire enjoyed a good day with the ball to leave Sussex on 358-9 in their LV= County Championship match at Trent Bridge.
Losing the toss, Notts saw the visitors reach 252-2 before fighting back strongly in the second half of the day, with Luke Fletcher (3-49), Gary Keedy (3-96),debutant Luke Wood (2-76) and Harry Gurney (1-77) sharing the wickets.
Chris Nash continued to enjoy his appearances in Nottingham, scoring his third century on the ground, before being dismissed for 178.
Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s Director of Cricket, explained why he was able to take so many positives out of the day.
“We are playing on pitches that are not normal Trent Bridge pitches because with the inclusion of Gary Keedy we want them to spin,” he said. “So I think we’ve come out of that reasonably well but Day Two will tell us how well.
“I thought Luke Wood was terrific. He was running in at half past five with the same skill and aggression that he showed when he was running in half past ten. It was good that the captain put him on to bowl straight after tea and I’m very pleased he got that first wicket and pleased he chipped in again right at the end.”
Notts made two changes from the side defeated by Yorkshire three days earlier, with Jake Libby and Luke Wood being given their county debuts, replacing Steven Mullaney and Jake Ball.
Libby, a 21-year old right-handed opening bat from Cornwall, had previously played 2 first class matches for Cardiff MCCU, whilst former England Under 19 left-arm medium pace bowler Wood hails from the Worksop area.
Luke Fletcher bowled a maiden over to Nash to begin the contest but then Luke Wells got the innings under way with a single off Harry Gurney.
Wells (10) looked in decent touch as he stroked two balls to the boundary before nicking Gurney into the gloves of Chris Read in the sixth over.
Nash had played and missed several times before getting off the mark but then made the bowlers pay as he and Ed Joyce eased their way into the session.
Wood opened up with a maiden to Joyce and bowled a tidy line and length during an opening 6-over spell that cost 18 runs.
The 50 arrived in the 15th over and the 100 came in the 28th as the pair reached lunch at 110-1, with Nash unbeaten on 70 and Joyce on 30.
Wood was hit for two boundaries in the first over of the afternoon session but the next breakthrough followed immediately. With his first ball of the afternoon Fletcher had Joyce (31) smartly taken at first slip by Riki Wessels.
Craig Cachopa joined Nash and helped keep up a healthy run-rate throughout the afternoon.
Nash reached his fourth century against Notts (and third at Trent Bridge) from 152 balls, with 20 fours, as he drove Gurney through the off side for four.
On 116 he had his first moment of concern, bisecting Read and first slip Hales, off Patel’s bowling – and he managed to deflect another ball straight through the same region shortly afterwards.
Cachopa, hitting the ball with great power, brought up the first batting point in the 50th over and the century stand soon followed.
On 144 Nash nearly drove Keedy to Wessels at mid off, but the ball just fell short of the fielder.
Just before tea, after a partnership of 134, Notts broke through – not once – but twice.
Keedy had an advancing Cachopa (48) caught at slip by Hales and then Luke Wright (4) fell lbw, sweeping in the same over.
First ball after tea provided the moment that Luke Wood and his friends and family had been hoping for. Michael Yardy (0) steered obligingly straight to Michael Lumb in the gully. It’s was the youngster’s 14th over but first from the Pavilion End.
Nash’s career high was 184, scored against Leicestershire in 2010. The opener was within 6 of that when he emulated Wright in falling to the sweep against Keedy.
Fletcher made further inroads with the second new ball, having Chris Jordan (25) caught behind and Ben Brown (46) taken at the third attempt by Patel.
Wood’s first day as a Notts player ended with more success as Steve Magoffin (0) edged behind to bring the home county a welcome third bowling point.