Nottinghamshire end first day strongly against Middlesex

Toby Roland-Jones took three wickets but Middlesex let a good position slip on day one of their latest County Championship match at Lord’s.

In beautiful conditions for batting, Alex Hales (73) and Michael Lumb (78) shared a third-wicket stand of 107, before Roland-Jones hit back to restrict Nottinghamshire to 209-5 at tea.

However, Samit Patel – who was dropped on 11 – struck an unbeaten 86 to tip the balance in the visitors’ favour, although Steven Finn’s two late wickets brought Middlesex back into it.

Despite having lost the toss and expecting a long day in the field, Tim Murtagh struck with the fifth ball of the match, removing Steven Mullaney.

Greg Smith (29) added 57 with Hales for the second wicket, against some testing new ball bowling from Murtagh, only to edge Roland-Jones to second slip, where Ollie Rayner took an excellent low catch.

Hales and Lumb, in their partnership, hit two sixes and 19 fours between them to take Notts to 168-2, before Roland-Jones claimed two wickets in an over.

He bowled Hales and five balls later slanted one down the slope to have Riki Wessels lbw for a duck.

Off-spinner Rayner, in his first match of the campaign, stayed calm under pressure and deserved his success when a quicker ball trapped Lumb lbw.

Chris Read, who was also put down when on six, made it to 38 after a 71-run stand with Patel, but Finn – whose first 16 overs cost 77 runs – sent him packing with his second delivery with the new ball.

Nick Compton took a great catch at third slip in Finn’s next over to remove Stuart Broad for seven, with Notts on 291-7.

However Patel added a useful unbroken 54 with Brett Hutton, a stand Middlesex will need to end early on day two.