CricInfo Championship: Nottinghamshire v Sussex at Nottingham, 20-23 Jun 2001 CricInfo Live Report

CricInfo Championship: Nottinghamshire v Sussex at Nottingham, 20-23 Jun 2001
Dave Bracegirdle

Sussex 2nd innings: Lunch - Day 3, Tea - Day 3,
Live Reports from previous days

NOTTS UNABLE TO PART CENTURIONS

Having batted throughout the morning session Richard Montgomerie and Murray Goodwin both went on to score centuries during the afternoon as Sussex piled on the runs against Notts.

By tea Goodwin had moved on to 145 not out and Montgomerie was unbeaten on 124 as the total reached 274 without loss, a lead overall of 348.

In the first over after lunch Goodwin reached his 50 (137 mins 107 balls 7x4s) with a push to mid-on off Richard Stemp.

The first alarm of the day for either batsman came in the 41st over of the innings when the Zimbabwean edged Greg Smith through the slip cordon for four to extend the lead beyond 200.

Montgomerie, 72 not out at the interval, added only six of the first 32 runs after lunch as his partner dominated the scoring to also move into the 70s and take the stand beyond 150.

Two crisp drives off AJ Harris got Montgomerie’s score ticking over again and it was from the same bowler that he clipped a four through square leg to reach his hundred (191 mins 178 balls 18x4s), his third in four matches against Notts.

Still the home side were unable to make a breakthrough as the 200 came up in the 58th over. Shortly afterwards Goodwin joined the select band of batsmen who have scored a century in each innings of a Championship match by crashing Clough through the covers to reach three figures (228 mins 175 bells 14x4s).

In so doing Goodwin emulated Michael Bevan, who performed the same feat for Sussex against Notts last season.

There was to be no respite for the home attack as the lead extended to 300 and then Goodwin mauled Usman Afzaal for 19 off one over, including the first six of the day which ricocheted around the plastic seating in the William Clarke Stand.

Afzaal was replaced from the Radcliffe Road End by the returning Clough and he met with the same treatment as Goodwin hoisted him high into the Parr Stand.

Notts rotated their bowling to try to break the stand and Greg Blewett even tried a few overs of off-spin but the Sussex openers remained together until tea when, no doubt, skipper Chris Adams will begin to think seriously about the timing of his declaration.

SUSSEX MOVE INTO STRONG POSITION

Sussex manoeuvered themselves into a strong position on the third morning of their CricInfo Championship match against Notts at Trent Bridge. With a first innings lead of 74 they reached lunch in their second knock on 121—0, having increased their advantage to 195 with all ten wickets still standing.

The new ball failed to bring any immediate dividend for Notts as Murray Goodwin and Richard Montgomerie posted the 50 in 16 untroubled overs, Montgomerie hitting AJ Harris for well—timed boundaries either side of the wicket and the Zimbabwean crashing first change Greg Blewett through the covers for his first rour of the innings.

Montgomerie then moved purposefully ahead of his partner and greeted the 21st over introduction of Gareth Clough with a firm legside clip which raced to the boards to bring up his own 50 (80 mins 70 balls 10x4s).

Goodwin, a centurian in the first innings, again batted watchfully but broke the shackles with a pull and a drive for extravagant boundaries in the same Richard Stemp overt

Usman Afzaal became the sixth different bowler to be used when he came into the attack in just the 29th over and Goodwin’s driven four off him, two overs later, brought up the 100.

Without so much as a single optimistic lbw appeal throughout the session Notts trooped off to lunch looking badly in need of inspiration and facing another uphill struggle to save the match.