Robinson returns with four wickets at Trent Bridge

Ollie Robinson took four wickets on his return to competitive action as Sussex bowled out Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire for 240 on an eventful opening day of our latest LV= Insurance County Championship match.

In response, Sussex lost five wickets of their own, however the ever-dependable Cheteshwar Pujara managed to steady the ship, along with 18-year-old leg-spinner, Archie Lenham. Sussex eventually reached stumps on 94-5.

Robinson, who was only playing his third County Championship game of the season, dismissed the first four names on the Nottinghamshire scorecard to finish with four for 44 from 16 overs in his first appearance since May.

He produced two particularly high-quality deliveries to bowl openers Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater, albeit 89 runs apart, the latter making 55 as one of two Nottinghamshire players to post half-centuries in an otherwise largely miserable looking scorecard in which skipper Steven Mullaney’s 70 was vital in giving the innings some substance.

James Pattinson added a useful 39 batting at nine before taking three wickets in his principal role as spearhead of the Nottinghamshire attack.

Much responsibility will rest with Cheteshwar Pujara, captaining the side here, to build on his 34 not out if Sussex are to claim any advantage tomorrow, although the Indian Test star needed checking over late in the day after being struck on the helmet by a ball from Dane Paterson.

After Sussex won the toss and made the home side bat first on a wicket with a good covering of grass, Robinson quickly put Nottinghamshire on the back foot, dismissing Hameed with his 12th delivery.

Hameed fell four short of a maiden 200 against Derbyshire last week but went for just five this time, offering no shot to a ball that came back a long way to clip his off stump.

Slater put early runs on the board as a fast outfield added value to any attacking shot, particularly with a short boundary on the Bridgford Road side.

But he lost partners in Robinson’s fourth and fifth overs as Ben Duckett clipped one straight to backward square leg and Joe Clarke nibbled outside off stump to be caught behind at 41 for three.

Nottinghamshire went to lunch at 87 for four after Lyndon James was caught at second slip off seamer Ari Karvelas for seven.

Back after lunch, Robinson struck another blow by removing Slater for 55 with the ball of the day, pitching on middle and hitting the top of off.

Tom Moores flailed at a wide delivery from 20-year-old left-armer Sean Hunt to be caught behind and Liam Patterson-White nicked a loose drive to second slip off Karvelas as Nottinghamshire slipped to 152 for seven.

After Pattinson nicked one behind, the last two wickets fell quickly as left-armer Brad Currie, who took six for 93 on his debut at Lord’s last week,  picked up the final three.

Nottinghamshire missed out on a second batting bonus point but in the context of the match their 240 began to look a decent effort as Sussex stumbled to 49 for five.

Pattinson took the wickets of Clark, Orr and Carter and at the other end it was his team-mate Paterson who dismissed the returning Fynn Hudson-Prentice and James Coles.

Sussex found themselves 191 runs behind and with only 5 wickets remaining, however Pujara and Lenham showed brilliant resilience to see out the final 18 overs of the day and cut the deficit to 146.