Pennington, Tongue thrive in old haunts to keep Notts on track

Nottinghamshire kept their Rothesay County Championship title challenge on track as they bowled Worcestershire out for 182 on the opening day at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Former Worcestershire seamers Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue reduced their former team-mates to 53 for 6 before Gareth Roderick and Tom Taylor offered some resistance.

Nottinghamshire closed the first day on 46 for 1 to lay a strong platform for a victory which would keep their surprise title-bid right on track - and pretty much relegate Worcestershire to Division Two.

Nottinghamshire chose to bowl in anticipation of early life in the pitch. They found plenty to reduce the home side to 37 for 5 in the 15th over. Pennington struck the first two blows, unfurling a lifter to take Rehaan Edavalath's edge through to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and jagging one back in to trap Kashif Ali lbw.

Three wickets then fell on 37. Tongue removed Jake Libby, caught behind, and Brett D'Oliviera, off stump flattened, with the last two balls of an over. When Pennington pinned Daniel Lategan (making his debut, the 556th player to play first class cricket for Worcestershire) lbw, three wickets had fallen in five balls.

Tongue was mightily close to a hat-trick at the start of the next over when Roderick survived a huge lbw shout, but the next wicket wasn't long coming as Worcestershire stirred some self-destruction into their difficult morning. Ethan Brookes played Pennington to mid-off, saw a single that wasn't there and was well-beaten by Haseeb Hameed's direct hit.

When Matthew Waite clipped Lyndon James to midwicket just after lunch, it was were 86 for 7 but Roderick and Taylor rebuilt sensibly against strangely defensive fields. They added 71 in 17 overs and Taylor was deeply frustrated to sky a pull at Tongue and perish minutes before rain arrived to trigger an early tea.

After a gloriously atmospheric hour, with forked lightning flickering amid the fusion of dark greys and greens of grass, trees, sky and cathedral at this dazzling venue, Nottinghamshire polished off the innings. Pennington pinned Ben Allison lbw and Roderick, having dug out a fighting 102-ball half-century, was lbw, sweeping, to Liam Patterson-White.

Nottinghamshire lost skipper Hameed, bowled by Taylor, to the second ball of their innings. The pitch continued to offer some movement and good carry but Ben Slater and Freddie McCann, not without some playing and missing, added an unbroken 46 in 16 overs to the close to leave the east Midlands county still scenting a big first innings lead, a victory and, later this month, their seventh County Championship title.