Nottinghamshire displayed grit in the midst of a commendable batting performance and stifling heat on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Kent, with the hosts concluding play 387/4 at the Spitfire Ground.
Zak Crawley amassed a swift century for the home side whilst Daniel Bell-Drummond added 60 in a second-wicket partnership worth 153.
However, Calvin Harrison struck on the stroke of both the lunch and tea intervals, whilst Asitha Fernando took his maiden wicket for the Green and Golds, and Steven Mullaney claimed a scalp of his own, to give Nottinghamshire just rewards on a challenging day.
Having opted to bat upon a sun-drenched surface, Kent almost saw out the first session unscathed, but for Harrison to squeeze his leg-spin through Ben Compton’s reverse sweep and onto the stumps, via his pads with the hosts on 94.
It ended a dogged display from Compton who amassed 18 off 94 deliveries, while his opening partner Cralwey chugged along at a run-a-ball to bring up his half-century and finish the session on 73, punishing a costly drop at point in the first over.
The home side resumed control of proceedings after lunch, with Crawley bringing up his hundred off the same number of deliveries, as the second-wicket partnership ticked past 100, and Kent’s score past 200.
He raised his bat once more to acknowledge 150 - which included 17 fours and three sixes - after Bell-Drummond had reached his own fifty off 106 balls.
Both departed shortly after, however, as leg-spinner Harrison plucked a brilliant catch low to his left off a crisply driven drive to see the back of Crawley, before Fernando’s persistent short-ball ploy saw success as Bell-Drummond gloved to Moores who caught athletically down the leg side.
Harrison continued to impress as he bowled unbroken through the evening session, whilst Mullaney rotated his seam entourage from the other end.
It was he who struck to end a fledgling partnership between Tawanda Muyeye and Jack Leaning with the score on 307, the former attempting to punch off the back foot but instead edging to Harrison.
That proved to be the final scalps for the day, though, as Adam Finch partnered Leaning to add 80 for the fifth wicket, leaving Kent well set going into the second day.