Slater, Clarke keep Notts competitive despite Hill's latest five-for

Nottinghamshire's Ben Slater and Joe Clarke posted battling half-centuries and new England Lion George Hill claimed five more wickets for Yorkshire during a fascinating opening day of Rothesay County Championship cricket at Headingley.

Division One leaders Notts, inserted, were bowled out for 228 by a White Rose side who sat second-bottom ahead of this seventh fixture of the summer.

Opener Slater made 52 off 111 balls and Clarke 64 off 151, while Hill's seam accounted for 5 for 40 from 20 overs - his third haul of five wickets or more in as many matches. He is now the joint-leading wicket-taker in the country with 32.

Yorkshire closed on 10 for 2 from 12 overs in reply, Mohammad Abbas striking twice.

If things go well for Notts over the next few days, and if they go on to prise the title away from Surrey, this could be a pivotal day. That wasn't because they dominated. Instead, they showed impressive fortitude in challenging conditions. They could quite easily have been bowled out for 150.

Yorkshire constantly challenged, with Jordan Thompson claiming three wickets and new-ball seamer Jack White an excellent 2 for 23 from 16.2 overs.

Yes, Notts had some luck. They continually played and missed. But they made decent use of it, and it feels like a useful total even though they lost their last five wickets for 36. Just how useful will become clear on day two.

With Clarke and Lyndon James together in a sixth-wicket partnership of 71 either side of tea, that was when the visitors looked most secure.

Dom Bess won his first toss in charge as Jonny Bairstow's replacement. This was the first time in seven matches this season that Yorkshire haven't batted first. And they started well, with White removing visiting skipper Haseeb Hameed, brilliantly caught one-handed at point by James Wharton diving low to his right - 9 for 1 in the sixth over.

Even with a score of 6, Hameed became the first man in Division One to pass 700 runs.

With 12 millimetres of grass left on the pitch for Yorkshire's second home game running, the seamers got plenty of assistance. But Slater repelled the new ball and shared 56 for the second wicket with fellow left-hander Freddie McCann through to late morning. Slater reached his fifth fifty of 2025 off 109 balls.

McCann fell just before lunch with the score on 65, caught low down at first slip off Thompson for 28. And when the same bowler clipped Slater's off-stump shortly after lunch, two balls after he reached 50, the score slipped to 102 for 3 in the 38th over.

That was the first of three wickets to fall for 19 runs inside nine overs, with Notts now 121 for 5 in the 47th. Hill bowled Jack Haynes shouldering arms and shortly afterwards bowled South African Kyle Verreynne through the gate.

Yorkshire came into this fixture with some significant selection headaches, not least losing captain Bairstow to the Mumbai Indians for the latter stages of the IPL. Hill and White were the standout bowlers. They shared 13 of 25 maidens Yorkshire bowled. Thompson also impressed.

Clarke reached his fifty off 123 balls and, with the help of 29 from James, advanced Nottinghamshire's cause. But Yorkshire hit back to limit the damage.

The 71-stand between Clarke and James was broken by Thompson's third wicket - the latter caught behind by wicketkeeper Harry Duke following a top-edged pull.

In the next over, Liam Patterson-White offered Duke a more regulation catch off Hill - 197 for 7 after 73 overs. Hill then had Brett Hutton caught at second slip and Clarke brilliantly caught by Thompson on the run at third-man following an attempted reverse scoop.

White wrapped things up by bowling Dillon Pennington after he had heaved a four and six.

The visiting overseas seamer Abbas then had openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean caught behind for 2 apiece before close, and the concern for Yorkshire is that in Pakistani Test star, Notts have the perfect bowler for these conditions.