Joe Clarke posted his first century of the season as title contenders Nottinghamshire recovered from 147 for five to 292 for nine on the opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match with Yorkshire.
The classy strokemaker, who had passed fifty in seven previous innings this year but managed a top score of only 67, was dropped on 59 and 88 but made the most of his good fortune, hitting 15 fours and a six before falling for 109.
He shared a 97-run seventh-wicket partnership with 19-year-old all-rounder Joey Evison (58*) to help Notts to a total they will feel was a good effort after being asked to bat first on a pitch that kept the Yorkshire seam bowlers interested for much of the day.
Yorkshire - for whom 20-year-old wicketkeeper Harry Duke held six catches - had the upper hand at lunch and tea with three wickets in each of the first two sessions.
And though the home side lost three more wickets in the final session, they picked up two potentially vital batting bonus points - and may yet claim a third - after beginning the final round of matches as one of four teams still in the hunt for the Championship pennant.
Notts lost both openers in consecutive overs an hour into the day. England batsman Haseeb Hameed played loosely at a wide delivery from Matt Fisher, while Ben Slater pushed at one from all-rounder George Hill that tickled the edge.
Although Clarke looked in ominous form, collecting four boundaries in quick succession off Fisher, Notts lost a third wicket as Ben Duckett sliced Hill to backward point and were 79 for three at lunch.
By tea, Clarke was not out on 65 but had lost three more partners, all three caught behind. Steven Mullaney, who had hit Hill for three fours in one over to the short boundary on the Bridgford Road, prodded at Ben Coad, before Tom Moores nibbled at one from Jordan Thompson and Coad made Liam Patterson-White his second victim.
In between, Clarke had his first escape as Adam Lyth shelled a straightforward chance at second slip off Coad, and Lyth was the guilty fielder again when Clarke was dropped off spinner Dom Bess after tea.
Evison completed a maiden half-century off 97 balls just before Lyth finally did make a catch and Clarke was on his way, Coad picking up his third wicket in the ninth over with the second new ball.
Seamer Matthew Revis then dismissed Brett Hutton and Luke Fletcher late on, but the Green and Golds remain in sight of further valuable bonus points in the hunt for Championship glory.
*******
Nottinghamshire membership for the 2022 season is on sale now, with those who join our club bestowed priority access to tickets for Trent Bridge’s international summer alongside a plethora of additional perks.