Alex Hales made a welcome return to form on the third day of Nottinghamshire’s LV= county championship match against Sussex at Hove.
The 25-year old made 167, his first hundred in red ball cricket since August 2012, as the visitors made 336-4 before declaring their second innings closed, holding a lead of 433.
Hales showed that he was back to his scintillating best, making his runs from 133 balls and hitting 18 fours and 6 sixes.
"For whatever reasons it hasn’t happened for him for a while but today he showed everyone what a destructive player he can be." Wayne Noon
Sussex avoided being made to follow-on during the morning session, eventually being bowled out for 355, with Andre Adams taking 5-65 with the ball, as Ed Joyce finished unbeaten on 164 not out.
The home side then reached 29-0 in the four overs that were available at the end of the day.
Notts coach Wayne Noon admitted the day hadn’t totally gone as planned, “It was disappointing at the start,” he admitted.
“Obviously we wanted to make them follow on but that didn’t happen and the partnership just grew and grew. To get full bonus points was our first priority and to take a lead of 97 was very pleasing.”
Noon then paid tribute to Hales. “We know what he can do and what an exceptional player he can be. For whatever reasons it hasn’t happened for him for a while but today he showed everyone what a destructive player he can be.
“He is such a dangerous player and to do that as an opener he is capable of taking the game away from any side.”
A damp morning delayed the start by thirty minutes, with Sussex then resuming on 270-8 in their first innings, still 182 runs behind Notts – and 33 away from avoiding the follow-on.
Ed Joyce, the home captain, began the day on 104 not out and shielded his partner, Jon Lewis at the start of the day. Eventually getting on strike, Lewis emphatically punched Stuart Broad away for consecutive boundaries as the total neared 300.
The opening half hour failed to produce a breakthrough, with one two streaky edges adding to the frustration of the bowlers.
Joyce ran Siddle down to the third man fence to take the total past 303 but the batsmen weren’t finished yet.
The century stand followed, Lewis’s 36 being a significant contribution after he’d arrived in the middle at 216-8. Ajmal Shahzad bowled a menacing over to Lewis but was unable to get any of three well-directed yorkers through his defences.
Triple Nelson (333) was on the scoreboard when Adams eventually broke the stand, as Lewis (38) drove uppishly to Hales on the point boundary. It had been Lewis’ highest score for Sussex, in his first season on their staff after moving from Surrey in the winter.
Joyce, passing 150, went for his shots but when he allowed Matt Hobden (0) to get on strike, the debutant was immediately rapped on the pads for a third-ball duck, giving Adams his fifth wicket.
Alex Hales and Phil Jaques began after lunch, looking to build on the first innings advantage of 97. First time around it was the Australian who was quickly out of the blocks – this time Hales set the tone for the rest of the session, punching the ball delightfully – and repeatedly to the boundary boards.
The 13th over produced the first significant drama. With floodlights briefly on, Hales brought up the team fifty, then nicked James Anyon to slip, where Rory Hamilton-Brown put down the difficult offering.
Hales was on 32 at the time. Reprieved, he again set about the bowling and sped to his half century (47 balls 9x4) in impressive fashion.
In better light, Jaques kept the board ticking over, in a wonderful stand which fluorished and flourished and realised 128. Chris Nash made the breakthrough, eventually, as Jaques (39) played around the ball and was bowled.
Michael Lumb (13) again went cheaply, nicking Hobden to Hamilton-Brown at slip but Hales’ onslaught was far from finished.
His first ton (96 balls 16x4) since making 155 not out at Edgbaston, 22 months ago, was an occasion to be celebrated and Alex did just that – hitting four sixes – two of them from consecutive deliveries from Nash as he sped to 150 (123 balls 18x4 4x6).
Two more sixes took him to 167 but he then went looking for another one and holed out to Luke Wright at long on. After a few tetchy exchanges throughout the match it was pleasing to see and hear the ovation afforded the opener.
James Taylor anchored the innings from then on, allowing Samit Patel to bat with great freedom and he fell for 19 (from 24 balls), driving fiercely at Anyon and nicking through to Prior.
Taylor’s fifty (103 balls 6x4) came in the closing stages and he moved on to 65 not out, with Riki Wessels undefeated on 20 when the declaration came.
Sussex require a further 405 runs for an unlikely success but the weather forecast for the final day is bleak.