A century from Riki Wessels, the 16th of his first class career, was the highlight as Nottinghamshire reached 245 all out on the first day of their LV= County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.
In seamer-friendly conditions, Durham’s four-pronged pace attack all prospered as the visitors were dismissed in 75.1 overs, after losing the toss.
Chris Rushworth took three for 52 for the hosts, John Hastings collected three for 66 and there were two wickets apiece for Graeme Onions and Mark Wood.
At one stage Notts had been reduced to 102 for seven, before Wessels and Vernon Philander, who made 41, added 110 together.
Wessels was last out, having scored 117 from 168 balls, with 17 fours, and by stumps Durham had reached 69 for three, leaving the game in the balance.
If there was one slight blip on Wessels’ glorious day, it came in the shape of a blow to the thumb which prevented him from fielding.
“I took a blow from Mark Wood from a delivery that was a bit quicker than I anticipated,” he explained. “It hit me on the thumb and flew through to the wicketkeeper but the umpire had already called ‘No Ball’, so I was a bit fortunate really.”
Without a 50 in the first three championship matches, the 29-year old said he was due for some runs.
“I’ve felt good and said after the Hampshire game that I was due for a score. It’s nice to get a hundred relatively early in the season and hopefully I can build on it from there.
"I was pleased to get across the line having scored two nineties for Notts against Durham and just kept saying please, please as I went from 93 to 97 and then to 99. I was a bit fortunate to get my runs from a ball that went over the slip cordon, but I was determined to go after anything pitched up.
“I got great support from Vernon (Philander). He's so experienced and he took the pressure off. I've felt in good form and have had a few starts, so it was time I delivered. I got 90 here last year and have had 98 against Durham at Trent Bridge, so it was good to get over the line.”
The Nottinghamshire side showed two changes from the previous match, against Hampshire, with Harry Gurney returning and Brett Hutton stepping in for only his second championship appearance.
Jake Ball missed out with a hand injury and Will Gidman stepped down to twelfth man.
Under overcast skies on their home ground, Onions and Rushworth were always likely to be a handful and they reduced Notts to 22 for three inside 11 overs.
Rushworth removed both Brendan Taylor and Alex Hales with lbw decisions, Taylor falling for nought after padding up and Hales out for 6.
Steven Mullaney stroked three boundaries in reaching 15 but then edged Onions behind to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard. Durham then celebrated what they believed to be another wicket but umpire Russell Evans adjudicated that Samit Patel hadn’t nicked his first delivery.
Umpire Neil Mallender, at the Lumley End of the ground, gave his third lbw of the day to send James Taylor on his way for 9, from the bowling of Hastings.
Mark Wood, who made his England ODI debut in the week, celebrated his first wicket of the match in the final over before lunch, getting Patel caught at the wicket for 16.
Chris Read misjudged a Rushworth delivery and lost his off pole for 2 early in the second session and Hutton followed by fencing at a leg side delivery from Wood, allowing Mustard to pouch his third catch of the day.
Wessels had held firm, having scored 90 in last year’s corresponding fixture, and deservedly brought up his first Championship 60 of the summer with a pulled four off Onions. It was his 7th boundary and he had occupied 72 deliveries.
The support he received from Philander was invaluable and the South African played two of the finest shots of the afternoon in straight driving Paul Collingwood and then Scott Borthwick for fours.
A no ball from Wood cost him Wessels’ wicket, with the ball clipping the thumb on its way through to the gloves, but the umpires cry instantly nullified strangled appeals.
A Wessels boundary took him to 97 and brought Notts a batting point, which had seemed so unlikely at 102 for seven.
Philander’s highest innings for Notts ended after a partnership of 110, the county’s highest eighth wicket stand against Durham (beating the 96 set by Chris Read and Paul Franks at Trent Bridge in 2010).
Hastings picked up the wicket of the South African, courtesy of Borthwick’s catch at second slip and he then had Luke Wood caught behind for 4.
In between, Wessels had reached his century, skewing the ball off the outside edge and over the slip cordon for his 15th four and from his 153rd delivery.
It was Wessels second century on the ground, coming 10 years after he scored 107 for Northants.
With a second batting point drawing closer, the centurion went for a big hit off Onions but was unfortunately taken by a brilliant, diving, one-handed catch by Hastings at long leg. The applause from the crowd was acknowledged by a very stately bow from the fielder.
Durham’s reply began with 18 overs remaining in the day and got off to a rip-roaring start as Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings brought up the fifty stand in just 10 overs.
With the close just 4.1 overs away and 65 already on the board, an uncharacteristic error of judgement saw Stoneman shoulder arms to Hutton and fall lbw for 44.
Four balls later, at the other end, Jennings edged Gurney behind for 18. Nightwatchman Mark Wood didn’t last long either, trapped lbw by Hutton, leaving Nottinghamshire with an unexpected spring in their step as they left the field.
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