Nottinghamshire claimed their second LV= county championship success of the season when they defeated Surrey by 114 runs at Trent Bridge.
Set 259 to win, the visitors were bowled out for 144 with Paul Franks and Harry Gurney each collecting three wickets.
This was Notts’ first success at home since the Worcestershire win at the start of last summer, an achievement that understandably pleased Mick Newell.
“This was more like a Trent Bridge pitch – and it was more like a Notts performance on a Trent Bridge pitch.” Mick Newell
“This was more like a Trent Bridge pitch – and it was more like a Notts performance on a Trent Bridge pitch,” he said.
“I’m very pleased – I think that’s been an excellent win. I think Surrey were always going to be a hard team to beat. On paper they’ve got an excellent side and they came here with a good international-quality seam attack and we’ve turned them over.
“I thought we were favourites at the start of the day – they were three down and given the way the scores had gone – decreased every innings – the innings have got shorter and the runs have got less and once we tidied up our line and length this morning I think we were pretty much on top.”
Beginning the day on 73 for three, requiring a further 186 for victory, the home side owed much to Franks, who took three for 16 and Gurney, who finished with three for 40.
A bit of captaincy nous from James Taylor initiated the much-needed initial breakthrough after a tense opening half-hour, played under heavy cloud cover with the floodlights on.
Two deliveries after reaching his half-century Rory Burns (53) nicked Paul Franks behind – Franks having just come into the attack to replace Harry Gurney, who had opened from the Radcliffe Road End.
Steven Davies arrived in the middle on a pair but immediately got off the mark – and then helped himself to an all-run four down to third man.
Zander de Bruyn (14) survived a huge lbw shout against Franks but the home side’s disappointment, at not getting the decision, abated quickly with the bowler then getting his man to another catch at the wicket by Wessels.
The initiative had begun to swing towards Notts and they capitalised further with the swift dismissal of Gary Wilson (0) who struck his third delivery straight back to Gurney.
Switched to the Pavilion End, Gurney was right on the money and virtually unplayable – as Gareth Batty (4) discovered as he flailed at one outside off stump and snicked it firmly into Samit Patel’s grasp at second slip.
Surrey looked to have a chance whilst Davies (28) was there. The former England international punished anything with width until he chopped on to give Gurney his third wicket.
The end then came quickly. Tim Linley (6) egded Franks to Alex Hales at first slip and six deliveries later Stuart Meaker (7) heaved at the spin of Patel and Ed Cowan took the winning catch at cover.
The victory earned Notts 21 points and, although they sit in sixth place in the table, they have games in hand on most of the sides above them.
Surrey sit eighth, without a win from any of their first five fixtures.