Nottinghamshire picked up their first win of the LV= County Championship season when they defeated Sussex by 159 runs at Trent Bridge.

Having been set to score 310 to win, the visitors were blown away for just 150 in only 32 overs by a combination of accurate bowling and some injudicious shot selection.

Jake Ball and Luke Wood each picked up two wickets in their opening burst, before making way for Harry Gurney, who claimed the other four wickets to fall during an astonishing morning session in which a total of eleven batsmen were dismissed.

Gurney picked up a fifth wicket after lunch to end the day with career best figures of five for 43, only the third five-wicket haul of his career.

“That’s going to cost me a £50 round of drinks for the dressing room,” laughed Gurney afterwards.

“For the first three or four overs I felt dreadful,” he admitted. “I kept banging it in halfway down and kept getting pulled to the boundary. But then every time I pitched it up I got a wicket. Sometimes that’s how it goes, you have to take the rough with the smooth.”

Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said: “All credit to the team, certain people obviously made major contributions but the whole team has chipped in over the course of the three days.

“It was a dream match for Luke Wood, for a 19-year-old I thought he was absolutely outstanding, Jake Ball is at last getting the rewards he deserves for the work he put in over the winter and Harry Gurney has that knack of taking wickets in clusters. He bowls quickly, he bowls aggressively and has that wicket-taking ability.”

Notts held an overall lead of 294 when the day began under cloudy skies. Samit Patel and Luke Wood had put on 120 together during the closing session of the second day and were soon adding to their advantage.

Nine runs came from the opening over, all to Patel – but he then lost his partner. A delivery from Ollie Robinson was turned by Wood to backward point where Chris Nash took a comfortable low catch to remove the left-hander for 53.

Patel got to his hundred, reaching the landmark from 141 balls, with 12 fours and a six but then perished to his next delivery, top-edging Magoffin high to cover, where Craig Cachopa took a routine catch.

Magoffin completed his second six-wicket haul in the match by having Jake Ball caught behind, next delivery.

In pursuit of 310 Sussex lost Michael Yardy, lbw to Ball for 0, in the fifth over and then Matt Machan, first ball, at the start of the seventh.

Wood got in on the act. He had Luke Wells dropped at slip by Brendan Taylor but then the same combination made instant amends to remove the opener for 16.

Chris Nash was undone by a brute of a delivery from Wood, with no alternative but to fence the popping delivery to Greg Smith at short leg.

Harry Gurney then went to work, after being introduced as first change. He quickly picked up four wickets, having Craig Cachopa and Chris Jordan caught behind and getting Robinson caught at gully.

His other wicket was the most crucial. Luke Wright had played an array of attacking shots as he sped to 39 from 36 balls, before losing his middle stump.

Lunch was delayed for 15 minutes as Notts pressed for victory but Brown and Magoffin held firm.

Gurney picked up his fifth wicket, bowling Magoffin for 35 and it was left to Jake Ball to guarantee the win by having Matt Hobden caught behind for one.

 

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