Paul Coughlin returned to action in style with a quickfire 74 for Nottinghamshire’s Second XI as they were all out for 382 on the first day of their County Championship match against the MCC Young Cricketers at Lady Bay.

The all-rounder, who dislocated his right shoulder in March playing for the England Lions against West Indies A, showed no ill-effects of that injury as he shared a superb 139-run third wicket stand with Chris Gibson, who played another excellent knock to rack up 148.

And as the hosts were eventually dismissed after tea, Luke Wood picked up two wickets with his left-arm swing bowling as the MCC closed on 78-2.

Notts won the toss and decided to bat first, with Chris Gibson and opening partner Savin Perera both offering a chance to the slips early on.

They took advantage of those let-offs by putting on 91 before Perera (32) edged to first slip, the catcher Fynn Hudson-Prentice and the bowler Kiel van Vollenhoven.

Joey Evison (6) joined Gibson and helped take the score to 127-1 at lunch, but then fell to a catch at first slip by Joe Barrett from a Hudson-Prentice delivery.

Coughlin - playing only as a batman in this match - joined Gibson and they raced to the fifty partnership in 64 balls, and the 200 was reached with a six by the former.

Gibson pushed a single off in the 50th over to complete his century (149 balls, 11 fours) before Coughlin reached his fifty (50 balls, 2 sixes, 4 fours) with a four to make it 216-2.

A boundary from Coughlin completed the hundred partnership from 104 balls before he was bowled by Kashif Ali, while replacement Luke Wood (21) was taken at first slip by Hudson-Prentice off van Vollenhoven.

Gibson’s fine knock came to an end when he was bowled by Hudson-Prentice with the score 317-5 before Connor Marshall (1) fell to a catch at first slip by Barrett to give the same bowler another wicket.

Sol Budinger was caught at mid-wicket by Ali off Hudson-Prentice (4-57), while Tom Keast (10) was adjudged lbw to Benjamin Brookes and Jordan Cook (9) was caught at cover by Jakob Bhula, again off Brookes.

Last man Mark Footitt (3) was held at mid-on by Adam Barton from Dominic Manthorpe’s bowling, leaving Lyndon James unbeaten on 37.

With 19 overs left in the day, the Young Cricketers began their innings and it was not long before Joe Barrett (19) edged a catch to keeper Keast.

Bhula was trapped lbw by Wood, making the total 49-2, but there were no further issues for the visitors as Billy Mead finished on 32 and Ali on 12.

*************

T20 returns to Trent Bridge on 4 July with a 2017 Finals Day rematch of Notts Outlaws v Birmingham Bears. Tickets are £10 in advance for adults, £7 for over-65s & under-21s and £5 for under 16s. Secure your seats now.