Sterling performances with ball from Farhan Ahmed and Fergus O'Neill, allied to crucial lower-order runs, helped Nottinghamshire to maintain their momentum on day two against Sussex at Trent Bridge.

The visitors reached 195 for seven in their second innings at stumps, leading by just 64, after Notts had rallied to post 300 in their first innings, a lead of 131.

Liam Patterson-White (42) and Josh Tongue (39 not out) led the hosts' recovery, after skipper Haseeb Hameed’s made a fine 85 to continue a strong start to the summer.

Sussex then reached 89 without loss in their second innings before a collapse saw them lose five wickets for 36 runs. Australian Fergus O’Neill, whose four-match stint with Nottinghamshire ends with this match, has three for 60.  

Three down for 164 overnight, just five in arrears, Nottinghamshire looked well placed to establish a good first-innings lead.

The first hour, with the ball nipping around under an overcast sky, saw them lose five wickets for 46 runs as England seamer Ollie Robinson and West Indies Test quick Jayden Seales made the most of bowler-friendly overhead conditions.

Seales dismissed Jack Haynes with his first ball via a thin edge to the wicketkeeper, quickly backing that up as Kyle Verreynne edged to third slip.

Robinson then removed Hameed before sending O’Neill on his way via a catch at second slip. Seales dismissed Hutton, again taken at second.

Yet the second half of the morning swung towards Nottinghamshire as Tongue joined Patterson-White in a stand that combined doggedness with aggression to add 71 in 12 and a half overs.

Back for a second spell after bowling eight overs at the start, Robinson finally saw off Patterson-White via another slip catch. Off-spinner Jack Carson prised out the final wicket, but not before Nottinghamshire had picked up a second batting bonus point as well as what looked like a handy advantage.

After a delayed lunch was taken between innings, Sussex went on the front foot to profitable effect, slashing 89 runs off the arrears without loss in 22 overs. 

An uppercut for six by Haines off Tongue took the Sussex opener to 53 from 66 balls and simultaneously to 500 runs for the season, the first in the country to reach that milestone. But what was shaping up as a good comeback by the visitors stalled badly with three wickets in six overs shortly before tea.

Homegrown off-spinner Farhan Ahmed struck the first blow as Daniel Hughes, stepping back to cut, nicked to ‘keeper Verreynne, and the 17-year-old was celebrating again shortly afterwards as Tom Clark was leg before sweeping.

O’Neill picked up his first wicket of the contest, pinning Tom Alsop squarely in front as Sussex limped to tea three down and still 25 behind.

Worse was to come almost immediately after the break as Haines, who had taken a blow on the helmet facing Tongue but appeared none the worse, fell victim on 64 to a stunning, instinctive catch by O’Neill, grabbing the ball one-handed in his follow-through. O’Neill picked up a third wicket via another excellent catch, this time by Ben Duckett at second slip.

From 125 for five, Sussex suffered more blows as Tongue had James Coles leg before and Patterson-White bowled Fynn Hudson-Prentice.

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