Liam Patterson-White hit his maiden first-class century as Nottinghamshire dominated Somerset on Day Two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash in Taunton.
Academy graduate Patterson-White’s innings was a scintillating exhibition of boundary hitting, as he notched up 18 fours to propel the Green and Golds from 208 for six upon his entry to 381 for eight by the time he departed.
His dismissal for 101 from 121 deliveries shortly before lunch saw the entire Taunton crowd, whether of a Somerset or a Notts persuasion, rise to their feet to applaud.
Having resumed on 282 for six, Notts were eventually all out for 448 after lunch, with another half-century coming from Luke Fletcher, before Somerset were blown away, reaching 87 for seven at stumps, 361 in arrears.
Patterson-White had begun the day on 46*, as one half of an unbroken 72-run stand with Tom Moores, and it took him just three minutes to strike Josh Davey for the straight four that brought up his fifty.
Moores was similarly belligerent, and the two pushed their partnership beyond three figures with less than half an hour gone, before Patterson-White marked passing a personal milestone of 500 career first-class runs.
By the time Moores feathered Tom Lammonby to Steven Davies behind the stumps for 46, the stand had come to be worth 124, and the Green and Golds had safely stowed three batting points at 332 for seven.
New man Brett Hutton also passed a personal milestone, that of 1,500 first-class runs, and filled the role of support to Patterson-White, before the latter was adulated from the field upon being trapped lbw by Jack Leach.
Notts claimed a fourth and final batting point by having amassed 371 at the time of the 110-over cut-off , before Hutton and Fletcher, who put on 29 for the ninth wicket, steered the Green and Golds past 400.
Hutton was caught by Josh Davey off Tom Abell for a useful 31, before Fletcher added further substance to the total by hitting 51, his fifth career first-class fifty, prior to becoming the last man to fall.
Fletcher is the longest-serving member of this Nottinghamshire side, and was barely off the field for ten minutes during the change of innings, but looked as fresh as a daisy as he claimed a wicket with only his sixth ball.
Steve Davies was the man to go, pinned in front to leave Somerset two for one, before the hosts’ position got even more desperate as Fletcher roared in and snared two more.
In the space of four balls, opener Tom Lammonby, who made 10, and captain Tom Abell, who hit 35, were both caught behind by Moores, and Fletcher’s day wasn’t even done, as he then removed Lewis Goldsworthy for five.
Somerset had fallen to 68 for four, still trailing by 380, and Dane Paterson then ensured their evening got worse still, as he pinned James Hildreth in front for 12 before seeing Tom Banton caught behind for five.
Sandwiched between those Paterson scalps was one for Brett Hutton, who removed Roelof van der Merwe lbw, and there may have been relieved sighs in the Somerset camp when bad light once more forced an early close.
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Having secured more points than any other side during the conference stage of the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship season, Nottinghamshire will play two further home fixtures in the top section of the divisional rounds.
Lancashire and Yorkshire are the visitors to Trent Bridge with four day matches commencing at 10.30am on 5 and 21 September respectively.