Nottinghamshire turned in their most complete performance of the LV= County Championship season as they wrapped up a three-day victory over Sussex at Horsham.
The home side were bowled out for 213 in their first innings and then capitulated for 254, after being made to follow-on, as Notts secured 16 wickets in the day to complete victory by the huge margin of an innings and 103 runs.
Harry Gurney followed his first innings haul of five for 75 with three more wickets in the second innings to spearhead the bowling attack, after Nottinghamshire’s batsmen had set the game up with some terrific performances over the opening two days.
All in all, it was a delighted Mick Newell who gave his thoughts to the media.
“Over the course of the three days it’s been a very, very complete performance,” he said. “It was obviously a good toss to win, we piled up a big score and managed to put massive pressure on Sussex. We then managed to deliver with the ball and, for the most part, with our catching.”
Newell praised the performance of Gurney, who at times looked to be bowling very quickly.
“Harry bowled with some serious pace, which was very encouraging,” said the director of cricket. “His first spell was aggressive, left-arm quick bowling. Whether he goes over the wicket or around he has it in him but needs to do it on a consistent basis.”
Backing up Gurney were Luke Wood (4 wickets in the match), Brett Hutton (2 wickets), Samit Patel (one) and Gary Keedy, who returned figures of three for 45 and two for 62 on his first outing of the season.
“We’d prepared Gary for this game for a number of weeks,” said Newell. “He’s been playing in club cricket and played for the seconds at Taunton last week and he’s come in and taken five wickets in the match. I thought he put in a brilliant performance.”
Gurney admitted he’d been able to hit his straps with the ball in this match. “I hit some rhythm this week,” he said. “It was quite a bouncy surface; one that if you bend your back you’ll get some response. I’ve really enjoyed bowling here.”
Keedy, now 40, hasn’t featured much over the last three seasons. A bit-part role at Surrey preceded his move to Trent Bridge. Last year he featured in three matches for Notts, all of them ending in defeats.
"It’s been great to be on the winning side again,” he confirmed. “I’ve not won a championship game since winning with Lancashire in 2011. It’s now 2015, so it’s a great feeling to be able to sit on the outfield and relax with the other players. There’s nothing like winning.”
Sussex began the day on 157 for four in their first innings, still 413 runs adrift of Nottinghamshire’s imposing tally.
Luke Wright and Craig Cachopa had stemmed the flow of wickets with an unbroken partnership of 34 on the second evening but they were separated four overs into the new day.
Cachopa hadn’t added to his overnight 13 when he shuffled into a full-pitched ball from Brett Hutton and was given out lbw by umpire Steve Gale.
Ben Brown had an early scare on his arrival in the middle, scrambling back for a second run and just beating the return from Samit Patel as Chris Read whipped off the bails.
It was only a temporary stay of execution. The Sussex 'keeper reached five and flicked a leg side ball from Gurney and Read did the rest.
Gurney’s record against Sussex is impressive. He took a hat-trick against them in 2012 and secured a five-wicket haul in the corresponding match at Trent Bridge earlier this season.
Another five-fer was secured shortly after Wright had reached a combative 50, which included ten boundaries. The former England international pushed hard at Gurney and the edge flew to second slip, where Steven Mullaney held a sharp catch.
Sussex lost their eighth wicket, with two runs still required for a batting point, as Ollie Robinson got a thin tickle behind from a Gary Keedy delivery.
Peter Burgoyne offered some defiance to get the hosts a batting point but he was then castled by Luke Wood for 13.
Keedy finished off the innings, as Matt Hobden presented Read with his fifth catch. There was still time for even more Nottinghamshire success before lunch.
Following-on, the home side lost Luke Wells in the opening over, a wicket maiden to Luke Wood, as the left-hander nicked to Mullaney at second slip.
In the heat of the early afternoon Ed Joyce and Matt Machan provided stubborn resistance to thwart Nottinghamshire’s victory charge. They put on 92 for the second wicket, although Joyce was spilled, on 31, off Gurney.
The bowler had his revenge, claiming his sixth wicket of the match to remove the Sussex skipper. Joyce (32) looked to turn the ball towards leg and was crestfallen as a leading edge flew, instead, to gully, where Alex Hales made no mistake.
Chris Nash (15) also had a life, again off Gurney – but couldn’t capitalise for long with Hutton getting his man, courtesy of an lbw decision.
Machan had reached his 50 from just 44 deliveries, with six fours and continued to press on, advancing to his third hundred of the summer shortly after tea.
His departure heralded the beginning of the end. Mullaney caught the centurion, off Gurney, for 103 and then two more wickets fell in quick succession.
Cachopa (4) played a rash shot at Samit Patel and Keedy judged the high-swirler well, moving around from square leg to pouch the catch.
Without further addition to the total, Brown (0) played Gurney off his legs but stood dismayed as James Taylor took a sharp reflex catch at short leg.
Luke Wright rattled along to make a run-a-ball score of 67 but his dismissal heralded the end, with Keedy having him caught behind.
Robinson was also caught by Read, clipping Wood down the leg side. Magoffin popped Keedy to Wessels at short leg and Burgoyne fell to Wood for the second time in the day.
The victory, Nottinghamshire’s first at Horsham in eight first class attempts, brought the side 24 points and some valuable breathing space above the sides towards the bottom, including Sussex who now drop into the bottom two.
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