Collymore gives Sussex the edge

Corey Collymore took a deserved four wickets as Sussex opened up a mid-match advantage over Nottinghamshire on a day of missed opportunities by both sides at Trent Bridge.

Four more slip catches went down - two each - to make it seven dropped chances in this LV Division One contest so far.

None of those reprieved has yet gone on to make enough runs to drastically alter the course of an intriguing, if flawed, contest - in which Sussex were 70 for two and holding a lead of 96 by stumps on day two.

The champions bowled their hosts out for 251, after Mark Wagh and Adam Voges had each completed a half-century but also got out to Collymore (4-47) in the morning session.

Third-wicket pair Wagh (54) and Voges (53) took their stand on to 76 - counting eight boundaries each, with the Australian reaching his 50 quickest from 80 balls.

Neither the seamers nor Mushtaq Ahmed - struggling for consistency in his first match back after knee surgery - found much initially in a pitch which had yesterday posed plenty of problems for most of the Sussex batsmen.

On his and his team’s last appearance at this ground in September 2006, Mushtaq took a career-best 9-48 as Sussex inflicted a landslide defeat on their hosts which clinched the title for them and sent Notts down.

This time, though, the prolific Pakistani leg-spinner had little to shout about as Wagh in particular punished uncharacteristic waywardness with three successive boundaries in one over.

Voges went to his fifty with an edge over the slips from the first ball of Collymore’s new spell from the Radcliffe Road end - but without addition, he fell in the Barbadian’s next over when he drove tamely to cover.

Wagh - dropped twice on three the previous evening - was watchful and appeared determined to make Sussex pay until he went after some outswing but merely offered an easy catch to gully shortly before lunch.

The afternoon session amounted to a trade-off of six wickets for 90 runs - a statistic which clearly favoured Sussex and allowed them to get their noses in front.

Graeme Swann might have gone on nought, when Chris Adams could not hold a tough chance at second slip off Robin Martin-Jenkins (3-36), and should have gone on 12 as the Sussex captain put down a regulation catch in the same position off Luke Wright.

Swann therefore survived to be last out, holing out off Collymore with only Charlie Shreck left for company.

Having come in when Samit Patel was lbw pushing across the line at Martin-Jenkins, Swann would have hoped for more lasting support.

But apart from Paul Franks, who batted sensibly until fencing a catch behind off Collymore, it was not forthcoming.

Sussex’s second innings began with another drop, Carl Hopkinson spilled low down at second slip by Will Jefferson off Darren Pattinson.

But it was soon without Chris Nash, Shreck taking the fielders out of the equation by winning an lbw verdict as his victim pushed forward.

The Cornishman must have wished he had stuck to that formula, because Samit Patel was the next would-be catcher found wanting when Mike Yardy offered a straightforward chance to third slip on five.

The number three remained unbeaten but lost Hopkinson, beaten on the defence and losing his off stump to Pattinson.

Nottinghamshire, and Franks in particular, were convinced they had Yardy caught behind just before the close - but he was given not out.