Brett Hutton claimed four wickets as Nottinghamshire’s seamers defied Wales’ hottest day of the year so far to bowl Glamorgan out on the first day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash in Cardiff.
Having opted to field first after winning the toss, Steven Mullaney’s men took regular wickets throughout a stifling opening day as the hosts were dismissed for 318 in a little more than 84 overs.
Openers Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed then batted through the remaining nine overs to conclude on 19 without loss.
Hutton led the way with the key scalps of Colin Ingram and Sam Northeast to return figures of 4-76, and he was backed up by two wickets apiece for Mullaney, Luke Fletcher and Dane Paterson.
With temperatures in the Welsh capital already reaching 23°C by the time of the toss at 10.30am, the signs of a sun-drenched day were clear, but on a pitch with more than a touch of green, Mullaney chose to insert the hosts.
Fletcher wasted little time in ensuring his captain’s decision was vindicated, as he removed home skipper David Lloyd in only his third over, rapping him on the pad for six.
A breezy 34 from Ingram helped the hosts move themselves away from the precipice of any immediate further loss, but Hutton did for the South African as he wafted at one outside off and edged through to Joe Clarke.
There was further joy to come before lunch for the Green and Golds, as Eddie Byrom played across a fuller Paterson delivery and was trapped in front for 24, giving the seamer his 450th First-Class scalp.
However, Northeast and Kiran Carlson steadied the ship with a partnership of 27 in the morning’s remaining ten overs as Glamorgan took lunch on 103/3, with the mercury still rising to just shy of 30°C.
Northeast and Carlson increased their stand to 87 in what would turn out to be the innings’ largest partnership, before Hutton broke their resistance an hour into the afternoon as Northeast was trapped lbw for 56.
One then brought two as just 3.2 overs later, the right-armer was at it again to remove Carlson for 46, caught by a juggling Matthew Montgomery at slip, on his Notts First-Class debut, to leave Glamorgan 180/5.
With Glamorgan still short of a first batting point, Paterson then made it 451 scalps as he found Billy Root’s edge for 12, offering up the simplest of slip catches to Hutton.
Chris Cooke made 13 and added 27 with Michael Neser to take the hosts beyond 200 before giving Mullaney his first scalp via a nick to Clarke behind the stumps. And the captain went on to bowl Neser to end a swift cameo of 42.
The lower order proved a source of frustration, but a new ball provided fresh impetus to the visitors, and Hutton needed just two deliveries with it to see Andrew Salter caught by Haseeb Hameed for 35.
Last-wicket pair James Harris and Michael Hogan did push the hosts past 300, before the innings was brought to a close when the former slapped Fletcher to Evison at midwicket for 28.
With the sun still beating down on Sophia Gardens, it fell to Slater (10*) and Hameed (8*) to see off what remained of the evening session, and they did so successfully.
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