Joe Clarke and Will Young broke a Nottinghamshire record stretching back 121 years with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 370 to transform their Vitality County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton.
The pair batted for all-but ten minutes of the third day, coming together with their side 48 for two in their second innings, trailing by 213, and guiding them to 418 for two at the close, a lead of 157.
Clarke hit an undefeated 209, while Young contributed 156 not out. Their combined efforts bettered those of the uncle and nephew partnership of William and John Gunn, who put together a third-wicket stand of 367 against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge back in 1903.
By stumps, the pair had been together for two minutes short of six hours without either giving a chance. It was memorable display of concentration and application, which spelled total frustration for the Somerset bowlers.
Notts began the day looking to save the game from a seemingly daunting position. Inside the first ten minutes, Haseeb Hameed was bowled by Craig Overton for 20 to leave them 48 for two.
Clarke walked out to join Young with hundreds against Worcestershire and Essex already to his name this season. From a watchful start, the pair grew in stature to such an extent that a very occasional play and miss was all that offered encouragement to the bowlers.
Mostly, the ball met the centre of the bat as Clarke and Young mixed watchful defence with sound shot selection, choosing the right deliveries to attack.
By lunch, their stand was worth 92, Clarke having reached an 88-ball half-century and Young unbeaten on 41.
Young went to fifty off 135 balls early in the afternoon session, and Clarke brought up his ton off 136 deliveries, with 12 fours and a six, before celebrating with a glorious straight-driven boundary off Overton.
When the partnership went past 180 it beat the previous highest third-wicket stand for Notts against Somerset, compiled by Mike Harris and Sir Garfield Sobers at Trent Bridge in 1974.
Not content with that, Clarke and Young had increased it to 233 by tea, which was taken at 281 for two, with their side now 20 ahead. Somerset’s last hope was the second new ball, due two overs after the interval.
It was taken at 291 for two, but made no difference as the Notts pair continued to grind the bowlers into the dust in bright sunshine. Young went to his century with a superb square-driven four off Migael Pretorius, his 11th boundary in a then 234-ball knock.
Soon the partnership was worth 300. A six by Young off Shoaib Bashir piled on the misery for Somerset before Clarke scampered a single off Lewis Goldsworthy to bring up his double hundred off 284 balls, with 25 fours and a six.
The Notts third-wicket record was broken in the final over when Young pulled a two off Pretorius. A few moments later the Notts pair walked off to warm applause from the Somerset team and the crowd, Clarke having faced 303 balls and Young 304. They had been together since the third over of the day.
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