Nottinghamshire slipped to a disappointing defeat on the final day of their LV= County Championship season as they lost by 191 runs to Sussex at Trent Bridge.
Set to score 385 from a minimum of 75 overs the home side were bowled out for 193 in 60.3 overs, with Steve Magoffin claiming four for 51, to take 8 wickets in the match, with three wickets apiece to Chris Jordan and Ashar Zaidi.
Earlier, as Sussex batted on until 20 minutes before lunch, Ed Joyce, who had been undefeated on 115 overnight, fell for 149 after sharing a stand of 60 with Luke Wells, who scored 79. Luke Fletcher, on his 26th birthday, was the pick of the Nottinghamshire attack, taking three for 66, to add his first innings haul of three for 67.
Mick Newell was understandably disappointed, “We were poor today”, he admitted, “I don’t think we should have been bowled out on that pitch, even given Magoffin’s bowling. That has found us out over the last 3 or 4 matches, we’ve not had the bowling to match the opposition.
“If we finish sixth that’s what we deserve. You are going to finish in a false position in a 16-team league – and if we do it’s because we’ve lost the last three matches.”
After Alex Hales and Jake Libby had negotiated a tricky three over spell before lunch as Notts embarked on their chase, but both fell soon afterwards. Hales (6) was snapped up at slip by Chris Jordan, off Steve Magoffin, who then had Libby (12) caught one-handed by Chris Nash at short leg.
Michael Lumb (23) was also caught by Jordan, a stunning reflex slip effort, at the second attempt, from Ashar Zaidi’s second ball of the innings.
Riki Wessels was yorked by Jordan, who then had James Taylor caught down the leg side for 46, eight runs away from reaching 1,000 in the Championship this year.
Samit Patel scored 7 from 40 deliveries before becoming Magoffin’s third victim, aided by another Jordan catch in the slips
Zaidi, bowling a 20 over spell, broken only by the tea interval, turned a ball sharply to knock back Chris Read’s off peg and then trapped Luke Wood lbw.
Jordan finished the match off by bowling Harry Gurney with 9.3 overs to spare.
The visitors had resumed their second innings on 244-3 at the start of the day, with Ed Joyce unbeaten on 115. Their lead of 222 was immediately built upon as Joyce and Luke Wright began positively.
Wright pulled Harry Gurney high into the Fox Road Stand for 6 but then perished in the next over, driving to Gary Keedy at mid on to give Luke Fletcher a third wicket on his 26th birthday.
Joyce (149) and new partner Luke Wells rattled along at a run-a-ball as they added 60, although it was the Sussex skipper who dominated the stand. Within one of another milestone he swept Keedy out to deep midwicket where Jake Libby took a well-judged catch.
Wells stepped up a gear. He had been on nought for 13 deliveries but a pulled 5 into the New Stand, off Keedy, helped him to his 50 (48 balls 9x4 1x6).
He hit another maximum, launching Samit Patel into the Hound Road Stand before an attempted repeat cost him his wicket on 79, with Fletcher taking the catch inches from the line.
Ben Brown blazed Luke Wood high into the Radcliffe Road Stand and was on 38, with Chris Jordan on 2 as the declaration came.
Nottinghamshire’s season comes to an end with them occupying third place on 206 points but they could be overtaken by Durham, Somerset and Sussex, who all have a game in hand on the Trent Bridge side.