Mohammad Abbas starred against former employers Hampshire on his Nottinghamshire debut on day two of their Rothesay County Championship Division One clash.
The Pakistan seamer took 180 wickets at 19.26 in four seasons for Hampshire but was surprisingly deemed surplus to requirements at Utilita Bowl ahead of this year, so he instead joined Nottinghamshire.
Abbas, whose Nottinghamshire deal in 2020 was cancelled because of Covid, proved he remains as sharp as ever with figures of five for 31 from 15 metronomic overs as Hampshire were skittled for 196.
Nottinghamshire’s first-innings lead of 137 would have been even greater were it not for a counter-attacking 67 from Abbas’ old new-ball partner Kyle Abbott, who thumped three sixes and eight fours in a 51-ball salvo.
Abbott dismissed both openers as Nottinghamshire’s top order threatened to undo Abbas’ earlier good work, stuttering to 84 for six, with first-innings centurion Freddie McCann then out for 18.
But Jack Haynes led the recovery with 60 not out and found an ally in Liam Patterson-White, whose unbeaten 44 helped Nottinghamshire close on 171 for six for an imposing lead of 308 at Trent Bridge.
New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham recorded the highest score by a Warwickshire debutant with 184 while unbeaten tons from Ed Barnard and Zen Malik lifted the Bears to a mammoth 665 for five declared against Surrey at Edgbaston.
Latham’s dismissal was the only wicket to fall in the first two sessions, with Barnard compiling 177 not out and Malik an unbeaten 104 – his maiden first-class century – in an unbroken 215-run stand.
Barnard then trapped Surrey captain Rory Burns lbw for 27 as the county champions went to stumps on 98 for one – still trailing by 567 runs.
It is finely poised at Hove, where Sussex eked out a 104-run first-innings lead over Worcestershire before closing on 66 for three second time around.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s career-best five for 40 left Worcestershire 180 all out, with none of their batters reaching 35, before Sussex rallied from nought for two after losing both openers for ducks.
Essex were rolled for 123 following George Hill’s six for 51 to give Yorkshire control at Chelmsford. Adam Lyth’s 79 not out then lifted the White Rose to 114 for one at stumps and a lead of 207.
Marcus Harris struck 121 for his third Lancashire hundred this year as the Red Rose posted 276 at Northamptonshire, who slipped to 140 for six in their second innings for a slender lead of 102.
Ben Kellaway turned his overnight 91 into an unbeaten 181 to underpin Glamorgan’s 549 for nine declared at Kent, who were left reeling on 156 for eight after three wickets apiece for Timm van der Gugten and James Harris.
