MAGIC MULLANEY GIVES NOTTS DREAM START BEFORE SUSSEX FIGHT BACK

Steven Mullaney took three of the five wickets to fall as Sussex scored 230 for five on a shortened day at Hove as Nottinghamshire began their final Specsavers County Championship match of the season.

 

Mullaney took three for 37 from his 18 overs but an unbroken sixth partnership of 123 between Michael Burgess and Delray Rawlins steadied the ship for the home side and they deserved their early finish, with bad light bringing a premature close to the proceedings eight overs early.

 

Burgess finished unbeaten on 67, with Rawlins closing on 55 not out.

 

Head Coach Peter Moores agreed that it had been a day of two halves.

 

“Yes, two very different sessions,” he said. “I thought we bowled pretty well in the second session actually but they batted pretty well also, so it’s probably even-Stevens right now.”

 

Moores accepted that his side were ahead in the game, up to the tea break.

 

“We bowled very well up front; Steven Mullaney was the pick of the bowlers but credit to Burgess and Rawlins for getting stuck in and playing aggressively.

 

“At 107 for five we were very happy. It looks a good cricket pitch, there’s a bit in it if you get it in the right area but if you miss your lengths you get punished.

 

“The light definitely got worse but we would have liked to stay out there because there can be a twitchy end to the day, get one wicket and you might get two but the umpires made the right decision.

 

"It had got dark so they were fair to both sides.”

 

When play got under way at 1pm, after overnight rain had delayed the start, Chris Read asked the hosts to bat first.

 

The Notts team showed one change from the eleven that were on duty at Northampton last week, with Matt Carter replacing Tom Moores.

 

Nottinghamshire’s attack justified their skippers call by collecting three wickets inside the first 70 minutes.

 

Luke Wood, fresh from picking up eight wickets at Wantage Road, struck first as Harry Finch pushed, leaden-footed, at him and nicked behind to Read for 10.

 

Phil Salt made 16 but then drove Brett Hutton into the hands of Cheteshwar Pujara at cover.

 

That reduced the home side to 51 for two and four balls later it was 52 for three as Mullaney thudded the ball into the front pad of Laurie Evans, who scored just a single.

 

The experienced Chris Nash helped his captain add 48 for the fourth wicket before Mullaney struck again. Nash had reached 19 when he sliced the ball into the hands of Hutton in the gully.

 

In the final over before tea Sussex were reduced to 107 for five as Wells’ fine knock was ended on 46 by a leg before shout against Mullaney, who walked off with figures of three for 13 from an unbroken spell of 10 overs.

 

Michael Burgess joined Rawlins at the start of the final session and the pair played adventurously in bringing up their 50 stand in as many minutes.

 

Captain Read continued to rotate his bowlers but the two youngsters continued to play their shots and had taken their stand into three figures before the light deteriorated for a final time.

 

Notts, with one bowling point secured already, will be looking for early wickets when play resumes on the second morning.