Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney both hit fifties as Nottinghamshire fought hard on a testing second day of their opening County Championship match of the season against Sussex at Hove.
Yesterday’s man of the hour, Liam Patterson-White, continued to collect the bowling plaudits with a five-wicket haul as the Green and Golds began the day by dismissing Sussex on the stroke of lunch for 375.
In reply, there was a tough early afternoon to contend with for Peter Moores’ side, and they were grateful for the calming influence of James and Mullaney, who added 108 for the fifth wicket to overcome a stutter.
That took Notts from 52 for four to 160 for five by the time Academy graduate James departed, before Mullaney and Tom Moores negotiated the remaining overs to put the total at 214 for five by close, a deficit of 161.
Earlier, a calmer morning than yesterday was to be found at Hove, with the breeze whipping off the English Channel having subsided somewhat, and the hosts resumed their innings on 302 for six.
Tom Clark, who was 82 not out overnight, was the first contributor from either side, as he stood up to some tight early bowling from Luke Fletcher and Brett Hutton to record a maiden first-class hundred.
However, he fell just minutes afterwards for exactly 100, as with just his second ball of the day, all-rounder James produced a fine delivery that passed through the gate and hit the top of middle stump.
Patterson-White then recorded his 50th first-class dismissal as he pinned Steven Finn in front for 10, before last season’s Green and Gold stand-out Fletcher struck for the first time this year to remove Archie Lenham for 24.
That left Sussex 363 for nine, and after a late cameo from Henry Crocombe had brought him 16 to add to the total, he became Patterson-White’s fifth and final victim of the innings as he too was trapped in front.
Crocombe answered back immediately after lunch as he bowled Ben Slater, and things became more challenging when Haseeb Hameed was caught behind off Finn to leave the visitors 19 for two.
Ben Duckett briskly went about his business to snap back with an unbeaten 25 alongside Joe Clarke, before the latter became the third man to go, in the same fashion as Hameed.
Duckett continued to look to take the game to the hosts, but was unable to make any further advances after he edged Jamie Atkins to Tom Alsop at first slip for 31, with Notts then 52 for four.
James has often been the man for the job when such situations have arisen in the past, and he once again showed maturity beyond his years to partner with his captain and steady the ship.
Tea arrived with the stand worth 42 and the total on 94 for four, and James then cut Crocombe for his seventh boundary to post the first Nottinghamshire fifty of the season.
Then, in a game which had thus far been about the younger players, 35-year-old skipper Mullaney proved that experience is still of great value, as he too marched to fifty, swiping two maximums along the way.
The partnership was worth 108 when it ended an hour before close upon James top-edging Finn to Carter, but Mullaney remained unbeaten through to close on 79*, with Moores having made 23*, and their unbroken sixth-wicket stand worth 54.
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