Joe Clarke and Ben Slater led the way in challenging batting conditions before Muhammad Abbas struck late with the ball on an action-packed first day against Yorkshire at Headingley.
Clarke (64) and Slater (52) were the only two batters to reach their half-century, with the former spending three and a half hours at the crease, as the pair had to battle for their runs on a green-tinged pitch in Leeds.
George Hill shone with the ball for the hosts with 5-40, but Notts hit back in the hour they had to attack Yorkshire’s defence as Muhammad Abbas and Kyle Verreynne worked together to see the hosts finish on 10-2.
In overcast conditions at Headingley, Yorkshire captain Dom Bess won the toss and opted to put Notts into bat. It seemed the correct decision almost instantly as in-form skipper Haseeb Hameed had to depart in the fifth over after an impressive catch from James Wharton at point.
Yorkshire continued to press after Freddie McCann joined Ben Slater in the middle, Notts just 22/1 off 16 overs after the first hour of play with the pair taking multiple blows to the body.
McCann and Slater picked up the pace though as the latter began to move closer to fifty, before the former nicked the ball to first slip to depart for 28 (62) as Notts ended the first session 67-2.
Ben Slater was joined by Joe Clarke in the middle as the pair continued to score where possible despite the Yorkshire fast bowlers creating chances. The opener reached his half-century off 109 balls, guiding the ball to the leg side boundary. He would only stay at the crease for another two balls though, as Jordan Thompson picked up his second.
George Hill would then push the momentum back in the hosts’ favour, picking up the wickets of Jack Haynes and Kyle Verreynne in quick succession.
Lyndon James joined Clarke in the middle as the pair began to settle, James finding the boundary with a pair of textbook straight drives while Clarke slowly moved towards his half-century.
A pull shot from Clarke brought up the pair’s fifty partnership as Notts went into tea on 178-5. Soon after the break, he made his way to his half-century before Yorkshire struck and found their momentum with the ball, dismissing the Notts tail quickly.
James brought an end to the sixth-wicket stand, top-edging the ball into the hands of Harry Duke who then caught Liam Patterson-White behind the stumps after Hill found the all-rounder’s outside edge.
Brett Hutton was caught behind before Clarke, who had picked and played when and where he could all innings, looked to accelerate the run rate and was caught on the boundary.
Dillon Pennington and Mo Abbas smashed a quickfire 20 for the final wicket before Notts were all out for 228.
In the hour Notts had to inflict some damage to Yorkshire’s batting attack, Abbas quickly had the ball in hand and soon found Adam Lyth’s outside edge to see the hosts reduced to 2-1.
He struck again with nine balls left in the day, this time finding Finley Bean’s edge to which Kyle Verreynne made no mistake as Yorkshire finished the day’s play 10-2.
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