On a rain-interrupted first day of their LV=county championship match Sussex scored 91 for one at Trent Bridge, after being put in by Nottinghamshire.

Chris Nash was unbeaten on 45 and Michael Yardy had made 7 when play was called off, with Andre Adams claiming the only wicket to fall.

Nash had one reprieve, when Notts claimed that he’d been caught low down at slip by Steven Mullaney, who had no doubts.

“Obviously I am 100 per cent convinced I caught it,” said the 26-year old. “Chris Nash chose to stand there and I would probably have done the same if I’d been in his shoes. The umpires said it was inconclusive and it’s their call at the end of the day.

“Hand on heart I knew I caught it but that’s the way it goes.”

With some enforced changes in the side Mullaney also revealed that he would be opening the batting for Notts, with Sussex’s Steve Magoffin and Chris Jordan likely to be tearing in at him, first up.

“Bring them on,” he said. “They are the best two bowlers in the country at the moment, in terms of wickets taken but I wouldn’t want it any different. I’m going to give it my best and want to be up against the best.”

The toss took place at 11.30am as scheduled, ahead of the midday start but heavy rains then set in and play was put on hold until 2.30pm.

Put in, both Sussex openers Chris Nash and Luke Wells began brightly as Chris Read rotated his seamers.

With play continually being disrupted for an assortment of reasons, people moving, doors opening, ball being changed (twice) and the regular swapping over from right-hander to left, there was little chance of any flow to the early exchanges and the batsmen profited.

Both had a scare though. On 20 Nash edged Ajmal Shahzad to third slip, where Mullaney claimed a clean, low catch.

As Notts celebrated, the batsman stood his ground and was allowed to remain after umpires Bainton and Hartley completed their deliberations.

The frustrations of the home side intensified as David Hussey, at first slip, spilled Luke Wells, on 31 at the time, in the next over off Andre Adams.

Wells only added eight more before pushing at Adams to present Read with a comfortable opportunity down to his left.

After 25 overs of play, with 91 for one on the board, the wet weather again intervened and brought a premature close.