Jackson Bird, with four wickets on his Nottinghamshire debut, was instrumental in forcing Surrey to follow on during the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Trent Bridge.

The Australian international returned figures of four for 56 as the visitors were dismissed for 225 in 67.1 overs. When bad light and steady drizzle brought an early finish Surrey had reached 14 without loss in their second innings, still 207 runs behind.

Ben Foakes, with an eventful knock of 38, top-scored for Surrey in an innings where too many batsmen failed to capitalise after making a promising start.

Bird made the initial breakthrough during the opening half hour of play. The Australian, having beaten the bat on a number of occasions, finally found the edge of Rory Burns’ (8) bat and Chris Read did the rest.

Faced with a diet of left-handers Bird switched his angle of attack to round the wicket and Arun Harinath (23) got a thick edge which flew high to Riki Wessels at first slip.

Wessels was in the action again, to remove Steven Davies. Harry Gurney, clearly bowling to a plan, packed the off side and found Davies willing to push at the ball, nicking it to slip where Wessels took a stunning catch, high to his left.

Surrey’s predicament could have been worse, had Greg Smith been able to hang on to a difficult chance to remove Kumar Sangakkara off Gurney.

The Sri Lankan was on 27 at the time but didn’t last much longer, falling for 32 as Steven Mullaney held another edge, this time off Brett Hutton.

Jason Roy was put down on four but began to look in good touch after lunch as he raced to 28, with seven boundaries. His stay at the crease was then clinically terminated as Jake Ball thudded one into his pads and got the positive lbw verdict from umpire Tim Robinson.

17-year old Sam Curran, on his First Division debut, settled into his work and helped add 39 for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes.

Foakes made his way to 38 without any degree of difficulty but then underwent a strange series of dramas, beginning with an over from Hutton.

Initially, Notts all celebrated a caught behind but batsman and umpire were unmoved, Hutton then appealed loudly – and unsuccessfully – for an lbw decision.

The batsman then had an almighty rush of blood as he pushed firmly to Bird at mid off and set off. After being sent back by Curran, Foakes was well short of his ground as Read acrobatically gathered the return but was unable to twist in mid-air and remove the bails.

Without any further addition to his score Foakes got down the other end and survived another caught behind shout, against Gurney, before then trooping off as he did nick the next delivery.

Sam Curran (20) followed one over later, comprehensively mopped up by a Hutton delivery that pole-axed the off stump.

The spin of Samit Patel tempted Gareth Batty to pick out Smith at midwicket for 15 before bad light ended the afternoon session three deliveries early, with Tom Curran undefeated on 32.

The return saw Bird polish off the innings in devastating fashion with two lbw decisions from consecutive deliveries.

Firstly Ravi Rampaul was sent on his way after not playing a shot and then Tom Curran, who had battled his way to 35, was dismissed after playing around a full, swinging delivery.

With the floodlights doing their best to mask the gloomy overhead conditions Surrey’s openers were sent out for a second time and Rory Burns and Arun Harinath managed to keep their wickets intact until the early closure, with 18 overs lost to the weather.

 

The 2015 season saw dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.

This season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.

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