A stand of 272 between Chris Rogers and Eoin Morgan put the visitors in the driving seat on the first day of Nottinghamshire's LV= County Championship match against Middlesex at Trent Bridge.
Rogers made 180 and Morgan reached stumps undefeated on 174 as the visitors closed on 417 for five, having been put in by Chris Read.
Andre Adams (2-84), Peter Siddle (2-87) and Harry Gurney (1-57) were the wicket-takers for a home attack that toiled long and hard on fairly unresponsive pitch.
The morning cloud cover had seemed perfect for the bowlers, as Mick Newell emphasised, “We wanted to win the toss and put them in, so we are disappointed we didn’t make the most of the morning conditions,” said the Director of Cricket.
“It looked ideal to bowl first but perhaps we are not reading the pitches very well because we thought there would be a lot more in it for the bowlers.”
During the final few moments before the start of play there was a minute’s silence for Don Bennett, a great servant of Middlesex cricket, who died earlier this week, aged 80.
That was followed by a presentation of county caps to three Nottinghamshire players, Harry Gurney, Riki Wessels and Luke Fletcher.
Gurney’s presence in the side was the only change from the eleven that featured last week at Headingley, with Ajmal Shahzad stepping down to twelfth man.
Rogers has a fine record against Notts and the Australian was soon in full flow, although he had a slightly nervy start to his innings. The third ball of the match, bowled by Peter Siddle, flew at catchable height for four, between third slip and gully.
In Siddle’s next over, with Rogers already on 14, the entire fielding team had to stifle their lbw appeal with the umpire signalling a no-ball had been bowled.
Dawid Malan (17) kept his captain company for 57 minutes before losing his off bail to Andre Adams and three overs later Neil Dexter (0), edged Gurney to Wessels at first slip. The fielder, who had badly bruised his hand taking a catch, the previous evening, needed two attempts to grasp the offering then immediately ran off for more treatment.
A mix up nearly presented Notts with a third wicket. Morgan, on 7, pushed on the off side. After initial hesitation he had to go for the run, as Rogers called him through. Fielding from his own bowling, Adams turned and shied at the non-strikers end but hit the batsman, who was desperately trying to make his ground.
The umpires took the players of for around ten minutes after a slight shower suddenly got heavier but Middlesex returned to reach lunch at 97-2.
Rogers didn’t lose his appetite for runs during the interval and returned to take three boundaries in four balls off Siddle, two through extra cover and then a pull.
On 20 Morgan was put down, Wessels spilling at first slip off Gurney. The fielder was deep and would have had good sight of it coming at waist-height.
Rogers moved to 93 with an edge off Siddle that flew past the outstretched fingers of the diving Patel at second slip.
The century (131 balls 17x4) soon followed, a rare false shot as his inside edge found its way to the fine leg fence.
Notts even had the luxury of finding the umpires in agreement over the changing of the ball, in the 41st over, but the replacement also came on to the ball with uniform regularity.
Morgan twice lifted Patel down the ground and over the ropes for maximums, to move into the nineties.
The 200 partnership came up – achieved at almost exactly 5 runs per over and then two landmarks were achieved within 3 balls of each other, both from the bowling of Siddle.
Rogers reached his 150 (194 balls 22x4) and then Morgan reached his second consecutive hundred for Middlesex (137 balls 15x4 2x6).
Wessels came on to bowl a token over before tea, conceding the 3 runs that took the stand beyond the 225 that Owais Shah and Ed Joyce had put on for the third Middlesex wicket at Trent Bridge in 2005.
A further chance went begging soon after the restart. On 170 Rogers pulled Adams to deep square leg, Hales slid in, attempting to take a very low catch but the ball wriggled free as the fielder’s hands brushed the ground.
The stand was eventually broken by Adams, as Rogers (180) lifted to Taylor on the off side rope.
Joe Denly (18) fell to the second new ball, nicking Siddle to Patel at second slip. Morgan and John Simpson kept up the tempo, bringing up the 400 – and maximum batting points – in the 85th over.
Siddle struck again, knocking back Simpson’s (10) off stick but Paul Stirling kept Morgan company until the end.