Nottinghamshire’s bowlers toiled hard on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Somerset at Taunton.
With Matt Renshaw leading the way with a century for the home side, Somerset posted 307 for seven.
The Australian international scored 106, making his runs from 171 balls in an innings that included 12 fours and two sixes. Tom Abell scored 57 and Steven Davies was unbeaten on 59.
Matt Carter sent down 27 overs of off-spin on his way to figures of four for 81.
The Nottinghamshire side showed three changes from the team that played against Lancashire in the last championship match a month ago.
Stuart Broad was unavailable after featuring in the recent Test matches for England, Jake Ball is on ODI duty and Harry Gurney continues his recuperation from a calf strain.
Their replacements were Carter and Billy Root, both featuring for the first time in red ball cricket this season, plus 23-year old pace man Matt Milnes on debut.
The morning had begun with news of Steven Mullaney’s selection as captain for the forthcoming series of matches for England Lions.
He clearly would have hoped for some runs to celebrate his call-up but lost the toss and had to lead out his team-mates on a pleasant west country morning instead.
Renshaw and Eddie Byrom accumulated gradually against some testing bowling and weren’t separated until the 24th over.
Byrom had batted for 96 minutes and faced 67 balls before being sent on his way, leg before wicket to Mullaney.
From a lunch score of 80 for one, Somerset added 37 more before Carter struck from the Old Pavilion End, with Ross Taylor catching George Bartlett (29) at slip.
The catch was a sharp one, low down – and was repeated an over later when the same combination accounted for James Hildreth for a single.
Renshaw’s hundred arrived from his 165th delivery and Notts would have been fearful of how many more he would get but a rush of blood against Carter proved to be costly.
Abell and Davies, either side of tea, built on a solid platform with a fifth wicket stand of 82.
Luke Fletcher, who bowled tidily all day, ended their stand with the second new ball, removing Abell with a nick that carried safely to Riki Wessels at first slip.
Lewis Gregory made a bright and breezy 16, which included a six, before becoming Carter’s fourth victim, bowled inside the final half hour of the day.
Milnes had played two first class matches for Durham MCCU back in 2014 and removed three left-handers, Billy Godleman, Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick in those outings.
He was made to wait for his first championship wicket for Notts. When it came, in his 12th over of the day, it was a beauty as Roelof van der Merwe was late on a pacy delivery that clattered into the bails.
Davies reached his half century just before the close and will resume alongside Dom Bess at the start of the second day.
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