Nottinghamshire enjoy first morning run spree at The Nevill

Kent v Nottinghamshire LV= County Championship Division 1, Tunbridge Wells.
By Mark Pennell
Nottinghamshire made all the running on the opening day of Tunbridge Wells Festival week at The Nevill where the visitors went in at lunch on 146 for one after 35 overs.
Tall opening bat Alex Hales had reached a sublime 84 not out while Mark Wagh proved a useful ally, going in to the break unbeaten on 42.
Having lost the toss on a bright morning Kent“s new ball attack of Matt Coles, from the Railway End, and with Amjad Khan at the Pavilion End, generally struggled for control of line and length in their opening stints.
As a result Nottinghamshire, having elected to bat first, got off to their best start of the season as Hales and Samit Patel, opening for the first time this summer, posted 42 inside seven overs.
Patel“s fun came to an abrupt end with his score on 10 and the total on 43 when he chased a wide ball from Simon Cook and edged to the tumbling Geraint Jones.
Having posted an impressive 55-ball half-century from 11 balls Hales should have gone for 53 when he charged down the pitch to the fourth ball of the day from James Tredwell aiming to hit over long-on, but he skied to mid-on only to see Joe Denly lose the ball in the sun and get only one hand on a running chance.
No3 Wagh followed suit and danced down the wicket to drive for six over long-on against Tredwell, then Hales picked up a length ball from Malinga Bandara for a six over mid-wicket.
Wagh might have been stumped for 31 when, after another rush of blood, might have been stumped off Bandara but the ball clipped his pad to elude Geraint Jones and go for four leg byes allowing the pair to post their hundred stand before lunch .
Kent team: Denly, Key, Jones, van Jaarsveld, Northeast, Stevens, Tredwell, Cook, Khan, Bandara, Coles.