New Club Captain Steven Mullaney led from the front as Nottinghamshire finally got their English season up and running with a two-day friendly at neighbours Leicestershire.

The all-rounder opened the innings and looked in excellent touch as he scored 85 from 117 balls, while Billy Root added his own unbeaten 85 from 119 balls, as the visitors batted through the day to post 394-6 from 91 overs.

Mullaney, who hit 10 fours, was within sight of a morale-boosting century ahead of the first Specsavers County Championship game of the season against his first county, Lancashire, a week tomorrow (13 April).

That was until he drove spinner Callum Parkinson, who he already deposited for a straight six, into the hands of Michael Carberry.

The majority of the skipper’s runs had come in tandem with fellow opener Jake Libby as they posted a century stand.

But from the very next ball, Libby was removed for 44 by Gavin Griffiths, bowled by a delivery that nipped back off the seam.

Neither of the openers’ wickets halted the Notts momentum as Root, batting at three, looked comfortable from the outset against both seam and spin before retiring at tea, having struck 14 boundaries.

Back from the Pakistan Super League, both Samit Patel and Riki Wessels got some valuable time in the middle before falling when looking well set.

Patel made 23 before he pulled Zak Chappell into the hands of a diving Griffiths, while Wessels was adjudged lbw to Parkinson for 21 shortly after the tea interval.

His replacement, Tom Moores, went for 5 as he steered to gully, but Luke Wood and Luke Fletcher were much more successful, putting together an excellent, unbeaten seventh wicket stand of 105 from 23.4 overs that further frustrated the hosts’ bowlers.

Both went to fifties shortly before the close with Wood ending on 54 not out, with seven fours and one six, and Fletcher on 61 not out, with nine fours.

The start of play had been brought forward to 10.30am from the scheduled 11am start, with bright sunshine allowing play to begin on time despite heavy rain leading up to the match.

All 12 players in the squad who travelled to the Fischer County Ground will be involved in the two-day match, but Mark Footitt was name as the visiting player who would not bat.

Roles will be reversed tomorrow, with Notts getting their first chance of the 2018 season to have a match bowl in English conditions.

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