ALTHOUGH 18 wickets fell on an extraordinary opening day, the umpires confirmed that they were happy enough with the pitch and its bounce. It was necessarily reported, of course, but some fine bowling and some less than impressive batting by both sides, coupled with the fact that the ball swung, particularly in the Surrey innings, explained why there so many comings and goings.

The ball also darted off the seam, but Surrey must accept some responsibility for their lowest total for 22 months, 136 in exactly 3½ hours. Mark Butcher’s long-awaited return, now expected in mid-August after a gentle net on Monday, cannot come soon enough on this evidence. Only Mark Ramprakash, who resisted for 161 minutes, and to a lesser extent, Scott Newman, showed the required application.

All four Nottinghamshire bowlers swung the ball. What impressed was the lateness of their swing and the full length they maintained. A. J. Harris began the procession in the sixth over when he bent a beauty through Richard Clinton’s defences. When Greg Smith replaced him at the Radcliffe Road End, he took three wickets before conceding a run. Newman nicked an outswinger, Rikki Clarke played across an inswinger and Jon Batty wafted to be caught behind.

Alistair Brown, who had pulled Smith for six, fell to an inswinger from Ryan Sidebottom in the first over of the afternoon session. Soon afterwards, Azhar Mahmood, his gate left invitingly open, had his middle stump plucked out by a useful nip-backer. Martin Bicknell nicked another outswinger to give David Alleyne, standing in for the injured Chris Read, a third catch and Mark Ealham mopped up the innings.

The ball did not swing as much when Surrey bowled, but extra bounce from Bicknell immediately brought him the wicket of his brother, Darren, for the third time in the six championship innings he has bowled to him. Jason Gallian and Russell Warren compiled the longest stand of the day — lasting 16 overs — before Tim Murtagh removed both with movement off the seam.

Younis Khan, making his county debut in place of the absent Stephen Fleming, fell to Azhar, his compatriot, cutting loosely at a long hop that was top-edged to first slip.

While Alleyne was bowled by a beauty from Akram that straightened, David Hussey, after a number of forthright blows, played across the first ball of a new spell by Bicknell. At 112 for six, Surrey might even have scented a firstinnings lead, but they bowled poorly at Ealham and Graeme Swann, who drove and cut merrily en route to the biggest stand of the day, 50 in ten overs. Swann played on, the eleventh player to be bowled or leg- before, and Sidebottom drove to mid-off to complete a sorry day for batsmen.