Jake Ball marked the first day of his final game for Nottinghamshire with a wicket as the Green and Golds made steady inroads into Middlesex’s top order in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Trent Bridge.
The homegrown seamer was announced as departing from Trent Bridge on the morning of the fixture having enjoyed a 15 years as a professional with Notts, and took four overs to add one to his First Class wicket tally for the club, prising the scalp of Sam Robson.
Lyndon James and Brett Hutton also took one apiece to reduce the hosts to 162/3 at close amidst a threat of relegation, with Kent beginning the day one point behind the Seaxes.
Their choice to bat first having won the toss with the ground only playable at 3pm appeared without drama in the opening exchange, before Ball struck with 33 runs on the board.
The right-armer induced an erroneous drive on the up from Robson which caught his edge, with the remaining work done by wicketkeeper Tom Moores.
The Green and Golds had their second two deliveries later, with Hutton claiming his 56th of the season as Mark Stoneman was struck adjacent to the stumps.
Steven Eskinazi had an escape on four, but the introduction of Lyndon James as Hutton took a breather brought a divide immediately when the all-rounder’s first delivery, angled into Max Holden, took out the left-hander’s middle stump.
Middlesex were then 93/3 when Eskinazi struck a nasty blow to the helmet attempting to pull James, and had to leave the field.
A brief stoppage for a shower at 117/3 was followed by another interruption after Steven Mullaney landed heavily making a diving stop, the Nottinghamshire skipper becoming the second injury casualty of the day, although he was soon back on the field.
But Ryan Higgins remained assured, reaching his second consecutive fifty and his ninth of the season, from 63 balls with six fours, alongside John Simpson who finished on 26 from 71.