Nottinghamshire seconds ended a dominant first day 128 runs ahead of Essex in their three day friendly at Billericay Cricket Club, after winning the toss and bowling the hosts out for 98.

Put in to bat, Essex were struggling from the start when Luke Fletcher removed captain Mark Pettini for six.

Luke Wood then took three wickets in quick succession, Liam Gough (3), Jack Sterland (3) and Michael Bates (0) all falling with the score on 35-4.

That score quickly became 36-6 as Brett Hutton had Tim Morton LBW for 19 and David Brent caught behind by Tom Moores for 0.

Adeel Malik and Jack Laraman got the home side to fifty by the 20th over but Fletcher returned and took the next wicket with the score on 56, Malik caught by Hutton for 17.

Monty Panesar had made two before becoming Hutton’s third wicket, Nottinghamshire now having taken eight first session wickets for just 59 runs.

Jack Laraman guided the hosts towards the 100 mark but Simon Webster took the last two wickets of Zain Shahzad (2) and Ollie Bocking (4) to bowl Essex out for 98.

Laraman was left unbeaten on 36 as lunch was taken, Luke Wood with 3-21 off 10 overs and Brett Hutton with 3-17 off eight overs.

After the interval Greg Smith and Anuj Dal opened the Nottinghamshire reply, Shahzad opening the Essex attack and he had all the early success.

Smith had made 13 before Shahzad got the edge of his bat, Sterland completing the rest at slip.

He struck again soon after, removing Sam Wood (7) and Brett Hutton (0) to reduce the visitors to 58-3.

Adam Tillcock joined Dal and the pair reached the hundred in the 25th courtesy of a boundary from Dal who then reached his fifty off the next ball.

Tillcock was the next man to fall though, Brent bowling him after Notts had taken a lead of eight.

Tea was reached without further loss, the score 123-4, Dal on 61* and Fletcher on 8*.

In the final session of the day, Dal fell for 77, becoming Shahzad’s fourth victim and bringing Tom Moores to the crease.

Fletcher and Moores pushed the score past 200 but the partnership ended when Panesar removed Fletcher for 39 before Moores fell for the same score off the following over, bowled by Laraman.

Connor Marshall and Luke Wood were the two new batsmen but Marshall (2) failed to make the close as Panesar bowled him in the final over of the day.

Nottinghamshire had 226-8 by the end of the day, Wood not out on eight, and with a healthy first day lead of 128 to build on.