TRENT BRIDGE (first day of four; Lancashire won toss)

Lancashire 113 and 4 for none. Nottinghamshire 202 (SR Patel 74; SJ Croft 4 for 51)

Lunch

By the time that Stuart Law, the Lancashire captain, came out to bat this morning with his side on 9 for 3, he must have been wondering whether he had taken the right decision in opting to bat first on winning the toss. The Lancashire top-order had crumpled against the swing bowling of Charlie Shreck and Darren Pattinson, who took three wickets in his first four overs.

Both the Nottinghamshire opening bowlers kept a full length and enjoyed some favourable decisions from the umpires. There were three leg-before verdicts in the first four dismissals and both Paul Horton and Francois du Plessis returned to the pavilion looking distinctly miffed.

Since that hectic first half-hour, as the shine has worn off the ball batting has become a much more comfortable occupation. Perhaps, having chosen to bat first, Law felt beholden to prove that run-scoring should not be so difficult and he has cantered to his fifty from 76 balls with 12 fours. With Steven Croft defending diligently at the other end, a Lancashire revival is under way.

Tea

This game is proceeding at quite a pace. Lancashire were bowled out for 113 at 2.22pm, then Nottinghamshire were 43 for three by the 16th over of their reply. But Mark Wagh and Samit Patel have scored freely in the last hour, taking Notts to a position from which they could build a substantial lead.

With a glut of injuries and James Anderson on international duty, Lancashire are desperately short of seam bowlers and are using Steven Croft and Steven Mullaney, two young all-rounders, as their third and fourth seamers. Croft dismissed Will Jefferson in his first over, but has since conceded 41 from six overs, while Mullaney has gone for 16 from three.

It became increasingly obvious during the afternoon session that there is a touch of variable bounce in the pitch. Nothing drastic, but just enough to disconcert a batsman. Croft, in particular, was undone by a ball that lifted from Mark Ealham, who is hardly Curtley Ambrose.

Most of the damage, however, was done by Darren Pattinson, the Victoria seamer, who finished with 6 for 30. In his first season at Trent Bridge, he took eight wickets on his debut against Kent last month, only to be dropped as Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad came back into the side. Today he hit the seam, found a touch of swing and bowled very few bad balls. He could be a very useful signing.

Close

The pitch inspector will come calling to Trent Bridge tomorrow after 20 wickets fell in an extraordinary day’s play. The successive collapses were due as much to bad batting as a difficult pitch, but there were increasing signs of variable bounce later in the day. Steven Croft took four wickets for Lancashire, all of them leg-before, as his skiddy seamers thudded into batsmen’s pads. Croft himself had been dismissed earlier by a sharply rising snorter from Mark Ealham.

A stand of 93 between Samit Patel and Mark Wagh ensured that Nottinghamshire gained a substantial first-innings lead. Patel decided that life on this pitch was going to be short, so made merry for his 74 from 71 balls, while Wagh stroked an elegant 55. Nottinghamshire are in the driving seat, but they will await the pitch inspector’s visit with trepidation tomorrow.