Nottinghamshire spinner Farhan Ahmed became the youngest player to take five wickets or more in an innings in first-class cricket in England – but his efforts may be in vain after Surrey made a first-innings 525.
Ahmed claimed 7-140 at Trent Bridge but after captain Rory Burns had struck 161 on day one, India international Sai Sudharsan added 105 to put Surrey in a commanding position as they push towards a third consecutive County Championship title.
Nottinghamshire closed on 144-3 in reply with skipper Haseeb Hameed (68) and Brett Hutton out just before the close after Hameed and Freddie McCann (69 not out) had shared a 136-run second-wicket partnership.
Sudharsan and Jordan Clark added a valuable 101 from 28.4 overs when Liam Patterson-White dived to claim an impressive return catch as Clark miscued an attempted on-drive to fall for 53.
Cameron Steel was run out for seven before Tom Lawes became victim number five for the 16-year-old Ahmed shortly after lunch, caught behind off a thin inside edge trying to work him to leg.
That wicket displaced Derbyshire’s Hamidullah Qadri, who took five for 60 against Glamorgan in 2017 aged 16 years 203 days, as the youngest to claim a five-for in first-class cricket in England.
Having picked up his sixth scalp, removing Conor McKerr with a catch off his own bowling to end a 52-run partnership for the ninth wicket, the youngster was four deliveries into his 51st over when adding the 22-year-old Sudharsan as his seventh, the left-hander’s attempt to add a second six in the over to his 10 fours seeing him caught at long off.
Clark uprooted Ben Slater’s middle stump with a perfect yorker to leave Nottinghamshire 4-1 after just eight balls.
Hameed and McCann negotiated 35 overs with no great alarms until the last 11 balls of the day as Hameed was bowled offering no stroke and Hutton was leg before on the back foot as off-spinner Will Jacks turned two deliveries sharply out of the rough.
