Friday 21 April 2017 19:47, UK
Riki Wessels struck an exhilarating career-best unbeaten 202 as Nottinghamshire feasted on an inexperienced Sussex attack on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Trent Bridge.
Wessels plundered his runs from 177 balls, hitting 22 fours and seven sixes, to help his county to 447 all out before Nottinghamshire's much-vaunted bowling unit reduced Sussex to 11-3 from the final six overs of the day.
Dropped for the final four matches of last season, after only averaging 25 with the bat, 31-year-old Wessels scored his runs all around the wicket and made Sussex pay for dropping him on 47, with first slip Harry Finch grassing a regulation nick off Jofra Archer.
Steve Magoffin was the most threatening bowler for the visitors, taking 5-51 but when he left the field, an hour after lunch, batting became much easier for the home side.
Stuart Broad (57) struck nine fours and a six as he helped add 132 with Wessels in only 15.4 overs.
New captain Joe Leach inspired a Worcestershire fightback as 16 wickets tumbled on the opening day of the clash with in-form Northamptonshire at New Road.
New Northants signing Andy Carter produced a three-wicket burst, which included Worcestershire top-scorer Moeen Ali (50), as the home side were bowled out for 188.
But Leach, in his first home match at the helm since replacing Daryl Mitchell as captain, produced a deadly new-ball spell which yielded four wickets.
It was reminiscent of the form which brought him 65 championship wickets last summer.
When bad light intervened with 25 overs remaining, Northants had been reduced to 102-6, with only Ben Duckett (45 not out) offering serious resistance.
Paul Collingwood led from the front as Durham restricted Gloucestershire to 266-7 before bad light ended play early at Bristol.
Approaching his 41st birthday next month, the former England all-rounder took two wickets with his medium pace in the morning session and then claimed three slip catches at Bristol.
Chris Rushworth and Keaton Jennings weighed in with two wickets apiece as the visitors look for their first win since dropping down to Division Two.
Chris Dent (59), Will Tavare (61), former Durham player Phil Mustard (38) and Jack Taylor (41 not out) all batted well for Gloucestershire, who could feel satisfied with their efforts after visiting captain Collingwood exercised his right to field first without a toss.
Harry Dearden was dismissed just 13 runs short of what would have been a maiden first-class century as Leicestershire enjoyed the best of the first day's play against Glamorgan.
Dearden survived a couple of close calls at the Fischer County Ground before Andrew Salter dashed his hundred hopes shortly before tea.
The 19-year-old's efforts, and an unbeaten 63 from Mark Pettini, helped the hosts post 275-5.
Derbyshire's seamers recovered from a patchy opening hour to offer the Kent batsmen a stern examination on the opening day at an overcast Canterbury.
When bad light ended play with 15 scheduled overs remaining, Kent had battled on to reach 238-8, having been seemingly in charge and sitting pretty at 83-0 after the opening 99 minutes of the match.
Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson (41) picked up 15 boundaries in their opening stand. That was the precursor to a dramatic collapse that saw the hosts lose four wickets for five runs in the space of 15 deliveries - Will Davis (3-59) starting the rout with two wickets in as many balls before Luis Reece bagged 3-38.
