It was a delightful day in the spring sunshine yesterday with the Trent Bridge pitch looking fantastic, green gleaming central of the empty white seated surroundings and blue skies of the borough of Rushcliffe.

Notts opened their summer of cricket on the opening day of a three day practice match against Oxford University, a friendly, the first of the year that could rust off the arms and in full swing, early doors the hosts batsmen were in action as Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed walked first to the crease.

It wasn’t long before Nottinghamshire were 11/1 as Hameed was caught low by McBride from the bowling of Hugo Whitlock. The former Lancashire and England star, recently made vice-captain, edging to first slip.

11/1 became 13/2 as two quick strikes by Whitlock had Ben Duckett gone, caught behind for a duck, not the start to the season he was hoping for.

Small improvement came as Ben Slater and Joe Clarke settled as Notts reached 40 before Clarke was caught in the covers off the bowling of Greatwood, 40/3 with rust well on show this morning.

However Notts steadied the Suez-stuck-ship dramatically as Ben Compton joined a confident Slater as the pair started to enjoy some fabulous cricket prior to lunch, breaking up the first morning session with Notts 109/3 with Slater bagging his half century.

Striking a 100 partnership in the second session, Compton hit an 87 ball fifty before Slater secured a 147 ball century and retiring as captain Steven Mullaney took centre stage.

By tea it was 260/3 and soon after, Mullaney got his fifty at a run a ball before Compton became Notts second centurion of the day retiring with his team at 311/3.

Mullaney was next to make it a hat-trick of hundreds in just 105 deliveries with 12 fours and 3 sixes, Tom Moores then got his fifty before departing caught in the deep by McBride for 51. Notts ending the day on 410/4.

A super day of shot selection with some confidence-boosting cricket on show. Day two will be available to watch online via our fabulous watch live page courtesy of our friends at Trent Bridge via YouTube.

*Main image @TrentBridge Ben Slater and Ben Compton both reaching hundreds.