Freddie McCann’s maiden first-class hundred helped Nottinghamshire claw their way back into contention on day three of their County Championship clash with Surrey at Trent Bridge.
The 19-year-old’s 154 was the bedrock of the home side’s score of 405 on a day where Surrey’s Will Jacks finished with 7/129.
Jack Haynes and Kyle Verreynne both contributed with a fine fifties – the latter’s being his first for the Green and Golds in his debut innings – before Farhan Ahmed removed Dom Sibley as Surrey closed on 13/1, ahead by 133.
Resuming on 144/3, Joe Clarke was stumped by Ben Foakes for four to hand Will Jacks his first wicket of the day and third of the innings.
McCann picked up where he left off with a series of well-timed boundaries, including a fine reverse sweep off the bowling of Cameron Steel as he and Haynes put on fifty for the fifth wicket from 115 deliveries.
Haynes was watchful, but capitalised on the looser deliveries as he emphatically smashed Steel’s full toss to the rope on the way to his eighth fifty across all formats this season.
The pair looked comfortable at the crease as they took Nottinghamshire past 200 before McCann got to three figures.
The batter worked Tom Lawes into the off side to bring up the milestone and gleefully celebrated as his teammates stood applauding from the balcony.
The hundred partnership between the duo soon followed after lunch as the Academy graduate swept Jacks to the fence before upper cutting Lawes over the slips for four.
McCann continued to cash in, and reached 150 runs with a dominant aerial shot through the covers which also brought up the 150-run partnership between himself and Haynes.
Five balls later however, he holed out to Conor McKerr at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Jacks for 154 to leave the hosts 302/5.
The brought debutant Kyle Verreynne to the crease and the South Africa international took no time at all in showing off his talents as he beautifully reverse swept Jacks to the fence early on.
Haynes, having just driven Jacks for four through mid-off, then fell victim to Foakes’ expert glovework whilst on 68 as he attempted to work Jacks off his pads.
Lyndon James looked composed during his knock of 23 before finding Dom Sibley to give Steel his first wicket of the day, and with Liam Patterson-White (0) and Rob Lord (10) falling in quick succession, it was Verreynne who supplied the impetus, continuing to a first fifty for Nottinghamshire which included four fours and a six over deep mid-wicket.
Ahmed was the last player out as Notts were bowled out for 405, having avoided the follow-on.
With the light deteriorating, Haseeb Hameed opened with Patterson-White and Ahmed, and it was the 16-year-old who made the breakthrough during Surrey’s second innings as Sibley chipped to Hameed for eight.
The away side reached 13/1 before the umpires deemed it too dark for play to continue.