Academy graduates Lyndon James and Liam Patterson-White both retired with unbeaten centuries to their names as Nottinghamshire piled up the runs on day one of their first home pre-season friendly of 2026 against Loughborough UCCE.

James made 101 off 96 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes, and Patterson-White struck 100 from 77, including eight fours and seven sixes.

The Green and Golds ultimately reached 445-7 from 72 overs before bad light intervened, with Joe Clarke earlier contributing 81 and Jack Haynes adding a further 74.

Oliver Curtiss led the Loughborough attack with two wickets, while there were also scalps for Easa Nadeem, Sakhumuzi Ndlela, and Will Bere, but the story of the day was very much to be found in the hosts’ batting.

A consistently fluent effort with the willow kept the scoreboard moving along at a swift rate, with Haseeb Hameed’s early 41 from 35 balls before falling to Ndlela, setting the tone.

Clarke picked up where his captain left off, leading the hosts to 149-3 from 29 overs at lunch and striking a 53-ball half-century, with ten fours, just minutes into the afternoon session.

He ultimately fell to Nadeem to end a 77-ball knock, but Haynes took up his mantle through the second session to guide the score to the precipice of 250.

From that point on, it was the James-Patterson-White axis that thrilled those who were in attendance on a blustery day.

Their partnership, ended only when the latter retired not out after hitting his ton, was ultimately worth 186 from just 25.3 overs.

There was time enough for Olly Stone and Rob Lord to spend a few overs in the middle following James’ equivalent retirement three overs later, before the light ended proceedings.