Nottinghamshire sought to assert themselves on the first day of their friendly fixture against Loughborough UCCE, declaring on 370/7 off 74 overs, before claiming two scalps in the visitors’ reply.
All of Ben Slater, Haseeb Hameed, Lyndon James and Liam Patterson-White reached half-centuries during Notts’ charge to a commanding first-innings total, which included a total of 11 sixes.
Patterson-White took just 52 balls to reach his fifty, after Steven Mullaney and Joe Clarke had contributed healthily-paced cameos of their own.
Jake Ball then took a wicket with the first ball of Loughborough’s innings prior to James Cronie and Ollie Meadows crafting a valuable second wicket stand, the away side closing to 95-2.
After winning the toss, Slater and Hameed shared an opening stand worth 98 - Notts largest of the day - before the former, who made 52, fell to a ripping delivery from Ramon Bailey which beat the left-hander’s outside edge and disturbed his off stump.
Throughout the day, Only Clarke (32), Mullaney (24) and Tom Moores (19) were dismissed short of fifty for Nottinghamshire, as Hameed retired not out, before James and Patterson-White followed suit.
Olly Stone (32*) and Brett Hutton (17*) enjoyed time at the crease after tea, clubbing seven boundaries between them, before Mullaney called time on the first innings with a little over 20 overs to bowl.
It took Ball one delivery to make the breakthrough, thundering a full ball into captain Joe MacGregor’s pads.
After a 62-run partnership between Cronie and Meadows (25) steadied the away side, the latter departed for the final wicket of the day - caught by Moores to give Luke Fletcher his first - with Cronie left unbeaten on 52.