Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett's fine weeks at the crease continued as Nottinghamshire contested a spirited opening day of their pre-season friendly with Warwickshire.

Hameed’s 52-ball stay included ten boundaries, with judicious leaves aplenty also on show in the company of Ben Slater as the opener backed up his hundred against Loughborough UCCE in midweek.

Duckett, meanwhile, will overnight on 42 from 37 deliveries after upping the tempo in the day's final overs.

The hosts’ reply came after Liam Patterson-White made a wicket-taking return to Nottinghamshire whites, with Joey Evison and Calvin Harrison also securing scalps as Warwickshire declared their innings closed on 197/4.

Notts reached stumps on 130/1, 67 in arrears.

The early impetus in the Nottinghamshire innings came from the blade of Hameed, the opener teasing the fielders with a perfectly-paced push off George Garrett, before leaving the Bears trailing in the wake of his second straight-driven boundary in succession.

To the celebratory strains of a wedding party meandering around the perimeter of the outfield, Hameed added further fours off Craig Miles, punishing any erroneous width and dispatching anything straight.

The scoreboard continued to tick over at a healthy rate as the sun began to dip behind County Hall, Slater content to leave the most expansive stroke-making to Hameed.

The Vice-Captain brought an end to his innings three short of his half-century, affording Ben Duckett the opportunity to enjoy more time in the middle after hitting two fifties against Loughborough.

And Duckett wasted no time in continuing his own fine form, a reverse-swept six off Jacob Bethell the highlight as he moved into the forties, with Slater providing ample support with an unbeaten 37.

Earlier, picture-perfect pre-season skies greeted the returning Steven Mullaney as he led his charges onto the field, with a maximum of 60 overs ahead of them.

It was in the eighth over that the home side struck, Evison extracting a modicum of movement to trap Rob Yates in his crease on 13, leaving the umpire with no choice but to raise the finger.

Yates’ departure triggered a fruitful partnership for the Bears, with captain Will Rhodes the quieter of the two Warwickshire batsmen as Dom Sibley accumulated breezily.

Eight fours would come in the sometime England international’s 84-ball stay at the crease, before he hit Patterson-White into the hands of a tumbling Joe Clarke moving towards mid-on.

That triggered lunch, and the retirement of Rhodes on 27, leaving Matt Lamb and Sam Hain to play out the afternoon session.

There was pace and promise from Notts quick James Hayes, and a miserly return of six runs from as many overs sent down by Lyndon James, but it was Calvin Harrison whose flight deceived Lamb on 54, bowling the right-hander and triggering the declaration.

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