Joe Clarke struck his 13th First-Class hundred for Nottinghamshire on a day that saw the Green and Golds take a near-impenetrable grip on their Rothesay County Championship clash with Glamorgan at Trent Bridge.
Clarke’s 136, made from 195 balls and containing 18 fours and a six, was the 25th ton of his red-ball career, and also means that he has now passed three figures on more occasions in red-ball cricket for Nottinghamshire than he did for former side Worcestershire.
After Fergus O’Neill and Brett Hutton had taken four wickets apiece during a rampant morning that saw the visitors skittled for just 113, Clarke’s innings, coupled with 70 for Ben Slater, took the hosts to the lofty heights of 284-9, leading by 450, at stumps.
O’Neill, who claimed 2/6 from his first spell back at Trent Bridge yesterday, was immediately to his work on an overcast second morning, removing the dangerous Colin Ingram for 23 with only his seventh ball thanks to a Kyle Verreynne snaffle behind the stumps.
That was one of three catches that the South African claimed on the second morning, following up by also seeing off Sean Dickson and Andy Gorvin as Glamorgan lost their last six wickets for 32 runs.
Dickson was O’Neill’s second victim, before Gorvin became Dillon Pennington’s first, with all three wickets falling as part of a spell that saw the visitors fail to score a run across 33 successive deliveries.
With the Welsh outfit reeling at 87-7, their situation then became worse as Brett Hutton joined the party to finish things off, claiming 3/5 in four overs to register overall figures of 4/33.
Chris Cooke was Hutton’s first scalp of the morning, offering Jack Haynes catching practice at third slip to go for three, before, only 26 deliveries later, Mason Crane was lbw for two.
That left Notts just one wicket away, and Hutton dutifully ensured they wouldn’t have to wait long to secure it by bowling Timm van der Gugten for 12, and ensuring Glamorgan’s dismissal for 113 in 48 overs.
Having opted not to enforce the follow-on, Notts’ third-wicket duo of Clarke and Slater then shared a partnership worth more than that in its entirety.
The pair’s stand of 178, made in 41.2 comfortable overs, helped the hosts overcome the losses of Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett during an initially shaky start of 8-2, to reach the far more comfortable realms of 185-3.
Where Clarke attacked, Slater was more watchful, but both were equally effective, as the former was first to fifty in 75 balls, before his partner followed in 102.
The moment of the century stand punctuated those respective individual milestones, and it soon became 150 with Clarke just 13 shy of three figures.
As he showcased his growing confidence by lofting Crane for a straight six, Clarke brought up his ton just before tea in only 122 balls with a driven four, his 14th, off the same bowler.
The Green and Golds reached the second break on 189-3, leading by 355, after Slater had fallen to Gorvin, but Clarke pressed on to hoist himself beyond 125 and take the lead past 400.
He was eventually removed by Gorvin, who also went on to take the wicket of Kyle Verreynne before Mason Crane collected two of his own, but not before allowing himself a moment to soak up the adulation of the Trent Bridge faithful.
Last pair Fergus O’Neill, who made 59 on day one and stands on a valuable unbeaten 23 overnight, and Dillon Pennington then calmly saw out a day of fast-forward action with Notts holding a staggering advantage.
