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Patel notches third county ton in four tries

Veteran allrounder's remarkable run-scoring streak continues and has now gone 2-684 in five innings for Notts

It's been his bowling that's helped him win six Test caps for England but hard-hitting allrounder Samit Patel's spectacular recent run with the bat might well have put him back on the national radar.

On the opening day of Nottinghamshire's County Championship clash with Leicestershire, Patel struck his third unbeaten century in four innings, reaching 157 by stumps at Trent Bridge.

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The 32-year-old made visiting captain and former Australia batsman Mark Cosgrove rue his decision to bowl first after seamer Ben Raine went down with injury in his fourth over, as Patel blasted their depleted attack for 17 fours and a six.



Patel's blistering knock comes just days after he smashed 122 not out in Notts' one-day cup semi-final, helping them reel in Essex's 370 in the highest-ever English domestic List A run chase. 

The week before, the right-hander notched a career-best 257 not out in a four-day clash with Gloucestershire. 

Patel's incredible streak has now seen him hit 684 runs in his last five innings while he's been dismissed just twice in that period, meaning his batting average over the last 16 days is an extraordinary 342.


Nottinghamshire assistant coach Paul Franks admitted Patel is in the form of his life.

"We've been able to capitalise nicely later in the day in glorious weather conditions and with a young man who is in prime form and long may it continue," Franks said.

"Fair play to him, he's worked his socks off to get to where he is and he is playing as well as I've ever seen him play."


Patel, a left-arm spinner, last played for England in the final Test of their 2015 tour of the United Arab Emirates. All six of his Test appearances have come in Asia in a bid to bolster England’s slow-bowling stocks. 

Last year he stressed his "international ambitions are still there in all formats" but it would appear Moeen Ali, another spinning allrounder, is the man standing in his way for a national recall.

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Having begun with Nottinghamshire aged just 14 in their youth ranks, Patel has been granted a 'benefit season' by Notts, a county tradition to reward long-serving players.

A strong-willed character by his own admission, Patel last month recounted a classic tale of dressing-room frustration involving former Australia batsman Adam Voges. 

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"I'm pretty straightforward. I don't beat around the bush," he told the Nottingham Post.

"We drew at Hampshire one year (2011) where we were chasing down a total.

"The message came back it was too hard to get the runs. I said 'you've got to be joking' bearing in mind Adam Voges has been batting for three hours.

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"I lost it. We lost a few wickets so it was decided we weren't going to go for it. By this time I'm losing my s**t in the dressing room.

"'Ready' (wicketkeeper Chris Read) went out and we needed tens (ten runs per over) by then. He went bish, bosh, bash and I thought 'surely we're going for them now'.

"We ended up drawing … at the end of the game I kept ranting and Micky (director of cricket Mick Newell) was like 'right, we're having a chat right now'."

Nottinghamshire will resume day two of their match against Leicestershire on 4-345, with Riki Wessels (28 not out) at the crease with Patel.