Opener Ben Slater led the way with a superb 178 as Nottinghamshire dominated the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship meeting with East Midlands neighbours Leicestershire.

Backed up by half-centuries by England’s Ben Duckett (77) and by Joe Clarke (80 not out), the 34-year-old left-hander hit 24 boundaries as his outstanding performance enabled the 2025 champions to close on 405 for four.

It was a chastening experience for Leicestershire, last season’s Division Two champions, who had hoped their seamers might exploit what looked like a bowler-friendly pitch at Upstonsteel Grace Road after winning the toss but, with the exception of Ben Green (three for 88), were never able to impose themselves enough.

Leicestershire were forced to ask for an injury substitution in the final session, Tom Scriven coming in for Josh Davey after the latter limped off following an awkward fall in the field.

It was a 16th first-class century for Slater, who made his first two of his career in the same match for Derbyshire against Leicestershire in 2014. He also has one for Leicestershire against Lancashire, while on loan in 2020.

With a good covering of grass on the pitch, Leicestershire’s hope had clearly been to bowl first. They achieved that ambition, yet Nottinghamshire were 120 for one at lunch.

The early signs had been good. A Davey inswinger deceived Haseeb Hameed in the opening over, the ball missing off stump by a coat of varnish as the Nottinghamshire skipper offered no shot. In his opening over, Ian Holland then beat Slater twice.

Thereafter, easy runs were offered in abundance. Slater, whose cutting and driving were excellent all day, helped himself to eight boundaries in completing his third half-century of the season from 68 balls. Green produced a good ball to find the edge as Hameed departed via an excellent catch by wicketkeeper Ben Cox but that was the sole wicket of the first session.

The afternoon followed a similar pattern. Holland, who had been miserly in the extreme at Cardiff last week, could not stop handing out gifts, with both Slater and Duckett taking advantage.

The England left-hander had a spring in his step after looking in good touch against Warwickshire last week, punishing the Leicestershire captain with three crisp straight drives, one after the other. Green, only marginally more effective in containing him, was dispatched down the same route as Duckett’s third consecutive fifty arrived from 52 balls.

Slater spent a dozen overs working through the 90s. When his first hundred of the season arrived, it had been 15 overs since his 15th boundary. Duckett, meanwhile, had wasted no time in getting after Ajaz Patel, taking him for three consecutive fours as well.

But Patel, the New Zealand Test bowler, extracted some revenge, beating Duckett’s pull-sweep to trap him leg-before for 77.

He and Slater had added 131 in under 30 overs. At tea, Nottinghamshire were in control at 282 for two, of which Slater had made 127.

The injury to new-ball bowler Davey, the Scotland international who joined them from Somerset in the close season, is another concern for Leicestershire. The 35-year-old has made only two appearances so far, having missed the start of the campaign with another fitness issue.

Clarke took his season’s aggregate beyond 500 runs and Slater’s 150 came off 247 balls. Having offered one edge at catchable height off Green on 169, when the ball passed between ‘keeper Cox and Rishi Patel with neither committing to it, he finally fell trying to defend a delivery from the same bowler that deviated enough to take a thin edge.

Green then accounted for nightwatchman Olly Stone, caught at second slip without scoring.