Patel's golden form exposes Leicestershire

Nottinghamshire 345 for 4 (Patel 157*, Taylor 61) v Leicestershire
Scorecard

Samit Patel continued to make the most of the richest vein of form of his career with another imperious innings on the first day of Nottinghamshire's Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.

Patel reached the close on 157 not out, scoring his runs from 222 balls with 17 fours and a six, as the home side closed on 345 for 4 after being asked to bat first.

Since making 82 against Derbyshire on June, 4 in the second innings of Nottinghamshire's last home match, Patel has rattled off an unbeaten 257 versus Gloucestershire and then one-day cup scores of 66 and 122 not out in last week's wins over Somerset and Essex.

The 32-year old was given not out on 37 after the umpires had conferred with Leicestershire claiming a slip catch by Paul Horton but a bump ball seemed to be their judgement.

Otherwise it was a breeze, on a day that badly needed one, for the middle order stroke-maker, who picked up a couple of milestones during his five and a half hours at the crease.

On 89 he reached 11,000 runs in first class cricket and the shot that took him to his 26th first-class hundred also took him to 10,000 for his county.

Jake Libby fell for 7 inside the first hour of the day, nibbling Dieter Klein down the leg side and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Lewis Hill.

On a stiflingly hot day, the visitors' gamble of opting to bowl first and pick up early top order wickets wasn't helped by the early loss of Ben Raine. The allrounder had sent down 3.2 overs before he left the action in some discomfort with a side strain.

"It doesn't look good for him, it looks worse than the previous side strain he had, so that's not good news for us or for Ben, who is absolutely gutted," Pierre de Bruyn, the Leicestershire head coach, said.

Steven Mullaney appeared untroubled in making 40 from 59 balls but then had his defences exposed as Gavin Griffiths nipped one back to flatten his middle stump.

Brendan Taylor, also off the back of two substantial white ball innings (156 and 62), made 61 in his first Championship knock of the summer.

He had a scare on 48 when he nicked Clint McKay but wicketkeeper Lewis Hill couldn't gather low down. A couple of deliveries later the former Zimbabwe captain was gifted two overthrows from an errant shy, to reach his 50 from 104 balls.

Klein picked up his second wicket when he had Taylor caught behind to a regulation nick and he struck again when Michael Lumb dragged on for 36, soon after tea.

Late in the day Leicestershire took the second new ball and Patel greeted its arrival by hoisting McKay several rows back over the midwicket fence as his unbeaten fifth wicket partnership with Riki Wessels neared three figures.

Notts had a further reason to be thankful with the announcement that James Pattinson, their Australian quick bowler, has been cleared to remain in the country and will participate in the Royal London One-Day Cup final a week on Saturday.