Nottinghamshire enjoyed an ultimately successful time with the ball as they picked up eight Surrey wickets on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at The Kia Oval.

The home side reached stumps on 299-8, with Jake Ball claiming the stand-out figures of three for 69. Five other Nottinghamshire bowlers shared the remainder of the wickets.

At one stage the visitors had reduced Surrey to 172-6 but Steven Davies and Tom Curran put on 112 for the seventh wicket before both fell to consecutive deliveries.

Davies ultimately made 83 and Curran fell for 52. Earlier, Arun Harinath had scored 73; all after the home county had won the toss and elected to bat first.

The Nottinghamshire starting eleven included two players who making just their second championship appearance for the side. Just over a year had elapsed since Matthew Carter’s 10-wicket haul against Somerset on debut but he returned alongside Dan Christian, who replaced Jackson Bird as the overseas option.

Early in the day Ball made the initial breakthrough, having Rory Burns caught behind by Riki Wessels for four. 

Kumar Sangakkara, who hit 166 against Notts on the same ground in last year’s one-day semi final, survived a huge lbw shout against Harry Gurney, when on one. He then played a streaky inside edge down to the fine leg fence.

The 18th over saw the Surrey total boosted as overthrows featured in an all-ran five for Harinath.

Carter was introduced as early as the 23rd over and would have been pleased to see some encouraging turn and bounce but it was at the other end that Notts made another breakthrough, just before lunch.

Captain Steven Mullaney entered the attack and knocked back Sangakkara’s off stump in just his second over. The former Sri Lankan international made 29, passing 19,000 first class runs in the process.

Surrey ended the first session on 98-2 but lost their third wicket to the second ball of the afternoon. Gary Wilson attempted a sweep against Carter’s off spin but only succeeded in ballooning a top-edge to Gurney at short fine leg.

Harinath passed his half century from 85 balls, having hit six fours, and his partnership with Steven Davies threatened to turn the advantage back towards the home side but Samit Patel had other ideas.

Clumped down the ground for an impressive boundary, Patel got the next ball to bite and kiss the outside edge of Harinath’s bat and the opener was easily snaffled up by ‘keeper Wessels.

Zafar Ansari failed to get off the mark before being pinned lbw by Gurney and Ben Foakes also fell before tea, nicking Ball behind for 22.

The final session belonged to Surrey’s seventh wicket pair, as Davies and Curran joined forces in their 128-minute partnership, the century stand coming up from 156 balls.

Davies brought up his 50 from 104 balls, with five fours and his younger partner reached the same milestone from three deliveries more, having stroked eight boundaries.

Despite being nicely set Notts managed to winkle out both batsmen within sight of stumps. Curran had his off peg knocked back by the tireless Ball, at the end of the 91st over.

The next delivery saw Davies chop Brett Hutton onto his stumps, leaving Batty and Stuart Meaker to see it through to the close.

On a typically batsman-friendly Oval surface Notts will have every reason to be pleased with their efforts and will look to polish off the Surrey innings early on the second morning.

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