In a season where all eyes are on the spinners, Matthew Carter began by recording the standout figures for Nottinghamshire’s Second XI against Warwickshire.

The off-spinner travelled to Emirates Old Trafford with the Club’s first team as Mick Newell ensured that he was covered against the possibility of a dry, spinning surface, before heading down the M6 to Birmingham and helping bowl the hosts out for 354 on Day One.

He finished with figures of 3-71 from 20 overs, with six maidens, continuing to demonstrate the promise as a tall finger spinner that saw him bag ten wickets on first class debut against Somerset last summer.

The teenage twirler also had a role to play with the bat before the day was out, coming out as night watchman at number three and fulfilling the role to obdurate perfection by blocking out 23 balls for his one run.

Sam Wood batted at a very different pace at the other end, striking six fours on his way to 36 not out at just shy of a run a ball.

The role of spinners is very much under the spotlight in 2016 after the ECB’s decision to bring them more into the game with a change of regulations surrounding the toss in Specsavers County Championship cricket.

Offering away teams the opportunity to bowl first is expected to result in more spinner friendly conditions, and caused Newell to confirm that Carter can expect to travel to the vast majority of away games during the course of the season,

It was, however, the seamers that did the early damage at the Edgbaston Foundation Sports Ground, a wicket apiece for Will Gidman and Jack Blatherwick reducing the home side to 53-2 after Notts won the toss and elected to field.

Luke Wood, who recorded career-best first class figures of 5-40 in the recent fixture against Cambridge MCCU, went wicketless with the new ball but later became the partnership breaker by dismissing Freddie Coleman lbw for 68.

The wicket brought to an end a stand of 110 between Warwickshire’s captain and Jonathon Webb, who became the first of Carter’s victims soon afterwards, clean bowled for 63.

Alex Mellor was dismissed by Ben Kitt for 12, making the score 198-5, only for a further frustrating partnership to follow; this time a sixth wicket stand of 75 between Aaron Thomason and former Worcestershire all-rounder Richard Jones.

Carter broke the partnership by dismissing Thomason for 42, smartly pouched at slip by Will Gidman after Tom Moores parried a sharp opportunity up to the stumps.

Luke Wood bowled Jones for 53 to finish with 2-40, Carter won his battle of the spinners by clean bowling Josh Poysden and Gidman completed figures of 2-52 from 20 overs with the similarly comprehensive dismissal of Recordo Gordon for 12 to conclude the innings.

Notts faced a tricky period leading up to the close, and they lost Anuj Dal for 13, before the cautious Carter and fluent Wood applied themselves impressively to ensure no further damage.

 

The excitement of NatWest T20 Blast returns to Trent Bridge on Friday 20 May as Notts Outlaws face Birmingham Bears in the first of seven home matches in the competition.

Supporters can witness every minute of the action with a NatWest T20 Blast Season Ticket, priced at just £84 (adults), £63 (over 65s) or £203 (family 2+2), with Membership available to U16s at £26 and U21s for £36.

Make Trent Bridge a firm fixture for your Friday nights and secure your seats now.