Jordan Clark century puts Surrey back on track after top-order wobble

Surrey 339 for 8 (Clark 107, James 4-74) vs Nottinghamshire

The all-rounder hit 107, sharing a seventh-wicket partnership of 97 with Sean Abbott to steer the house facet, who had stuttered to 70 for 4 after being put in, to 339 for eight at stumps.

Nottinghamshire misplaced seamer Jake Ball to harm within the first session and their issues have been later compounded when fellow opening bowler Brett Hutton limped off with cramp. Hutton, who had earlier elevated his season’s tally of wickets to 36 – the joint-second highest in Division One – tried to renew bowling in the direction of the tip of the day, however pulled up once more after solely a single supply.

Haseeb Hameed, taking up Nottinghamshire captaincy duties after Steven Mullaney was dominated out by a facet pressure, gained the toss and selected to bowl – a transfer immediately vindicated when Hutton trapped Rory Burns lbw for a second-ball duck.

Hutton additionally despatched a couple of deliveries fizzing simply previous Tom Latham’s outdoors edge however the guests have been unable to make additional inroads, regardless of rotating their trio of frontline seamers – a inventory that grew to become extra restricted when Ball left the sphere after 5 largely unproductive overs.

That scenario swiftly modified as three wickets went down in a shade underneath three overs, with Hutton returning on the Vauxhall Finish and getting the ball to seam and take Sibley’s outdoors edge.

Wicketkeeper Tom Moores sprang neatly to his left to take the second of his 5 catches within the subsequent over, dismissing Jamie Smith for a duck off James, who bowled resolutely and likewise had Latham leg earlier than transferring throughout his stumps.

Will Jacks initiated a counter-attack within the afternoon session, dispatching each Hutton and Dane Paterson to the mid-off boundary as he and Ben Foakes swiftly constructed a partnership of 60 for the fourth wicket.

However a shrewd bowling change once more paid dividends, with Paterson starting a brand new spell and persuading Jacks to present his first supply the cost, leading to a thick edge that thudded into Moores’ gloves.

Clark eagerly accepted the baton and shortly overtook his associate, wanting sturdy off the again foot and crashing Paterson for 2 cowl boundaries earlier than chopping him by means of level for 4 extra.

Nonetheless, Hutton’s mid-over exit shortly earlier than tea compelled Nottinghamshire to present leg-spinner Calvin Harrison an prolonged spell, with Matthew Montgomery additionally turning his arm over.

Clark nudged a single to achieve his 50 shortly after tea, just for Foakes to feather Paterson’s subsequent ball behind and fall 4 shy of that landmark, but Abbott proved a greater than succesful ally.

Hutton finally rejoined the assault halfway by means of the final session, however Abbott clubbed his first ball to the fence earlier than the bowler pulled up in his subsequent supply stride and trudged again to the dressing-room as soon as extra.

Clark progressed in the direction of the third first-class hundred of his profession and bought there from 133 balls, coming down the monitor to smash Montgomery to the mid-on boundary earlier than James had him caught behind quickly afterwards off an inside edge.

Abbott seemed set for a half-century, thumping James for successive fours to achieve 48, however he slashed the following ball to second slip to present the Nottinghamshire all-rounder his fourth wicket of the innings.