Nottinghamshire have established a formidable advantage over Sussex. A dramatic fightback from their first innings and excellent bowling efforts from their bowlers have added to this run. Having been behind at one stage in the first innings, a Nottinghamshire total of 300 all out {131-run lead} proved more than effective. It’s an amazing scene to set the game against the backdrop of a nail biting contest between the U-19 stars at the County Ground.
Notts’ innings faltered badly at 210 for 8. Liam Patterson-White and Josh Tongue countered with a key partnership that helped carry the team to an excellent total. Haseeb Hameed was the most impressive player with the bat, making 85. Tongue’s stubborn knock of 39 not out would prove just as crucial in taking the score past the 300 mark.
As the day wore on, Sussex’s second innings got off to an electric start with the side going to stumps on 89 without loss. The batting line-up underwent a calamitous collapse in the next session, with the top order losing five wickets for only 36 runs. This momentum change proved to be crucial, and Nottinghamshire wasted no time taking advantage of their hard-fought lead.
Jayden Seales and Ollie Robinson led Sussex’s bowling attack, both taking four wickets. Their contributions were instrumental in forcing Nottinghamshire’s innings to a halt and applying pressure back onto the batting team.
“The way we bowled this morning got us back into the game a little bit. The partnership they put together for the ninth wicket was not ideal but to get them out for 300 after they were 167 for three was a good effort and if we can add another 80 to 100 tomorrow it will make for a tricky chase.” – Ollie Robinson
In response, Nottinghamshire’s bowlers continued to apply pressure, with Fergus O’Neill recording impressive figures of 3 for 60. With less than a half hour remaining in the match, Nottinghamshire took the lead, and at one point was up 64 runs. They declared their second innings at 195 for 7.
Sussex’s Tom Haines produced the second-highest score of the innings, 64 runs. In the meantime, captain John Simpson bounced back though, finishing not out 35 while they shored up a batting reply that had crumbled so quickly. They’ll have to gather themselves together and find a new game plan heading into tomorrow.
Paul Franks, the assistant head coach of Nottinghamshire was proud of their display. As for positioning-wise, he was quite bullish on where they were at in the showdown.
“It is a pitch where good bowlers thrive on it and partnerships have been at a premium. The runs we were able to add at the end of the innings could be really valuable and I think 300 was a good score.” – Paul Franks
As both teams prepare for an intense final day, Nottinghamshire looks poised to leverage their current advantage while Sussex will aim for a significant turnaround to challenge for victory. With the tie finely poised, fans will be treated to a thrilling climax to this closely fought rivalry.
Leave a Reply