James Taylor produced the fourth-highest individual score of all-time by a Nottinghamshire batsman on the second day of their LV= County Championship game against Sussex at Horsham.
Taylor made a career-best 291, scoring his runs from 385 balls with 39 fours and two sixes, as Notts closed their first innings on 570 for seven declared. His sixth wicket partnership with Chris Read materialised 365 runs, of which the club captain contributed 121.
Sussex replied with 157 for four, with Harry Gurney claiming three of the wickets in a hostile spell of fast bowling.
With a best of just 61 to his name this season, Taylor was bound to hit top form sooner or later, as he himself admitted: “I was just delighted to be able to contribute for the team and to be able to set us up in the game. It’s not often we get 570 on the board.
“Individually, I was due a big knock and it finally came. I’m so happy to get 291, three hundred would have been nice but it wasn’t meant to be, so I’ll happily take what I finished with.
“I’ve been working hard on my game and found some good rhythm in the recent T20 matches and I was pleased with the tempo of my innings.
“Every fifty was quicker than the previous one and that’s how I want it to be. It’s the first time I’ve really enjoyed batting in four-day cricket this season.”
The Nottinghamshire individual record is Walter Keeton’s score of 312, made in 1939, and Taylor confirmed he knew he was getting close.
“I thought I must be nearing it but I was just aiming for 300 but it wasn’t to be. I have to say Steve Magoffin deserved the wicket, I thought he bowled beautifully right the way through.”
Resuming from their overnight score of 358 for five, the visitors set off in pursuit of a maximum fifth batting point with Taylor and Read extending their innings together after light drizzle had delayed the start until 11.30am.
With the second new ball just 16 overs old, and under heavy cloud cover, the two batsmen were watchful against Steve Magoffin and Ollie Robinson for the opening few minutes but they then cut loose as the milestones came thick and fast.
The fifth batting point was quickly gathered, the 200 stand was passed, as was the county record sixth wicket partnership against Sussex, which had stood since 1887.
Taylor then greeted the arrival of Peter Burgoyne’s off spin with a flurry of runs to speed to the sixth double hundred of his career. He hit the bowler over the top for two huge sixes to reach the landmark from 294 balls, which also included 28 fours.
After lunch it was all about how many they could put on together and whether there would be any more individual landmarks to support the team’s position of strength.
Taylor simply wouldn’t let the bowlers settle. His instincts took him down the track to almost every delivery and he unerringly found the gaps, peppering the boundary boards with a repeated rat-tat-tat.
Sussex began to visibly wilt as ones were turned into twos, in between the flurry of fours.
Read’s third hundred of the season came from 197 balls with 15 fours and a six and it was the Notts skipper who was the man to get out midway through the afternoon, almost 24 hours since the hosts had last celebrated the fall of a wicket.
The stand was eventually broken by Matt Hobden, who had Read caught behind by Ben Brown. Taylor was clearly urged by the coaching staff to push on towards a triple century and he got within nine when he fell to a sensational catch by a home favourite.
Magoffin, beginning a new spell from the Railway End, was slashed firmly to backward point, where Chris Nash, who used to play his club cricket for Horsham CC, took a spectacular catch flying through the air.
The deserved standing ovation for the 25-year old was extended as the fielding side followed him off at the announcement of the declaration.
Either side of tea Ed Joyce and Luke Wells put on 79 for the opening wicket in Sussex’s reply before Gurney parted them, by a terrific low catch by Brett Hutton, which sent back Joyce for 40.
Matt Machan was spilled by Riki Wessels, at first slip, in the subsequent Gurney over but the bowler wasn’t to be denied for long. Wells could do little else but edge a pacy delivery from the left-armer through to Read, also for 40.
Machan decided to counter-attack and twice put Gary Keedy over the ropes for six. Nash also went after the spinner, hitting one maximum, before edging the same bowler to Steven Mullaney at slip, for 11.
Gurney’s perseverance – during one of his most impressive spells of the summer – brought him a third wicket as Machan nicked behind for 20.
As the light deteriorated Keedy and Samit Patel operated in tandem but couldn’t part Craig Cachopa and Luke Wright, who stayed together long enough to get Sussex to the early close without further loss.
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