Jake Ball produced the best over of his life to record a hat-trick just before the close on the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Middlesex at Trent Bridge.
Ball snared the wickets of Sam Robson, Ollie Rayner and Nick Compton in successive deliveries to leave the current table-toppers on nought for three.
Notts weren’t able to add to their early haul, as the visitors closed on nine for three.
Earlier, the home side scored 241 with Samit Patel scoring exactly 100, the 24th century of his career, whilst Steven Finn claimed four wickets for his side.
Understandably, Ball was all a little shell-shocked when he spoke just after the close of play, “It was all a bit of a blur to be honest,” he said.
“We said up in the dressing room that with a short period of time to bowl we had to go out, try to hit them hard and try and pick up a wicket. To take the three – and get the hat-trick – was extra special.”
“It was a great catch from Steven Mullaney to get Robson out early and then to get the other two was even better.”
The home side made two changes from the team that played at Durham last week, with Jake Ball returning after England duty to replace Luke Fletcher and Brett Hutton was included at the expense of Luke Wood.
Jake Libby was the first batsman to be dismissed, nicking Tim Murtagh to Sam Robson at first slip for five.
Steven Finn entered the attack at the start of the 13th over and had an immediate impact. After sending two deliveries down the leg side, the England international tightened his line slightly and squeezed one through the gate to bowl Tom Moores for 16.
Steven Mullaney battled his way to 22, a score boosted by back-to-back fours at the end of Toby Roland-Jones’ first spell. A firm push at Finn ended his 82-minute stay at the crease, though, as Ollie Rayner pouched a sharp catch at second slip.
Brendan Taylor and Michael Lumb put on 31 together, either side of lunch; a stand that was broken in hugely fortuitous circumstances.
Lumb punched a backfoot drive from Rayner straight into the midriff of Nick Gubbins at silly point. The fielder, just a couple of paces from the bat, quickly wrapped his arms around it and managed to hang on, to the despair of the left-hander.
Taylor began to pepper the boundaries, driving Roland-Jones down the ground and then through the covers, but fell to the same bowler after making 30. Unable to control a delivery that popped on him, he ballooned the ball onto the off side and Gubbins slid in from point to make the catch.
The sixth wicket duo of Patel and Chris Read put on 49 before the Nottinghamshire captain chopped Rayner into the hands of Murtagh at point, to reduce Notts to 166 for six.
Brett Hutton made 10 before falling to Finn and when Ball followed soon afterwards, caught behind off Rayner for one, Notts were eight down.
Patel brought up his ton, his second of the summer, but then perished three balls later and Imran Tahir was last out.
Ball, back on championship duty after returning from international duty with England, made the most of his return to county cricket.
The third ball of the opening Middlesex over from Ball saw Mullaney pouch Robson at second slip.
Nightwatchman Rayner, whose career best score of 143 came on this ground in a similar role in 2012, perished to a full-pitched delivery which crunched into the front pad.
Nick Compton, after a lengthy delay which saw one or two Notts’ fielders enquiring if he should, perhaps, be timed out, eventually made it to the middle.
Ball’s hat-trick delivery was straight and true, giving the 25-year old a place in the county’s record books as the first Nottinghamshire bowler to perform a home championship hat-trick since Paul Franks in 1997
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