Nottinghamshire fight back on opening morning at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire lost both openers early but then fought back on the first morning of their County Championship match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. Having been invited to bat first by Warwicks captain Neil Smith they reached lunch on 104-2.

Back spasms again ruled out John Morris, with Chris Tolley for AJ Harris the only change for Notts. The visitors also made one change from the side which triumphed in Tuesday's NCL encounter with David Hemp in for Anurag Singh.

With one or two damp patches on the square the start was put back by fifteen minutes. With everyone in position and Allan Donald preparing to bowl the first ball to Darren Bicknell a quick shower sent the players racing back to the pavilion but the stoppage only amounted to a further ten minutes.

When the sides met at Edgbaston earlier in the season Warwickshire didn't take a single Notts wicket as openers Welton and Bicknell compiled a record unbroken stand of 406 together. Neither Donald or Ed Giddins played in that match and both formed a more penetrative looking attack this time. Bicknell began confidently enough with two crisp boundaries but on 10 he was trapped on the back foot by Donald and given out by umpire Trevor Jesty.

Bowling from the Radcliffe Road End, Donald was having a mixed session with the ball. Hostile when accurate, he was also unusally wayward with five wides in his opening six overs and wicketkeeper Keith Pipe was unable to prevent one of them going all the way to the fence.

On a sluggish pitch the South African did appear to be giving it everything though and he soon accounted for the other opener. Welton made a double-ton at Birmingham but he too departed for just 10, having had his off-stump uprooted.

At 33-2 in the eleventh over Smith's insertion looked a good decision but once his strike bowlers were rested Notts regrouped. Jason Gallian, who scored a century in the last Championship match at Hove, and Usman Afzaal - the county's leading run-scorer this season - both settled and prospered quickly.

Gallian hit five boundaries out of his first 23, and Afzaal hit four more as they took their partnership beyond 50. With sunshine breaking through for the first time Donald returned but he was unable to prevent the 100 coming up in the 23rd over.