Notts make hay..........................

......................... yes, as the sun shone!

The 2012 first-class season opened today at Trent Bridge in continuous bright sunshine as the newly capped duo of Lumb and Taylor made their first class debuts for the green and gold A fair crowd gathered mostly sitting in the Radcliffe Road sun trap. The wicket was pitched on the Bridgford Road side of the square as Read won the toss and elected to bat. Adam Soilleux who has represented Essex stiffs bowled a no ball first ball and then proceeded to bowl a series of poor balls as Hales smashed three boundaries. Unfortunately Hales got too gung ho and was caught at backward point off Soilleux’s fifth ball. more photos on Harry Butler Daft's Facebook  Michael Lumb coming at three lasted 26 balls until edging Soilleux into the slips where Endersby took the catch, 44 for two. Lumb out for 17. James Taylor’s debut innings for Notts lasted all of one ball as he was caught at first slip by Adam Riley off his namesake and former Leicester teammate Robert Taylor bowling left arm medium from the Radcliffe Road end. The students bowling though proved easy meat as Wessels and Edwards tore into the buffet bowling.  Wessels surely a much better bet at five than batting three raced to his ton in just 89 balls including 18 4’s. Left hander Edwards a walking wicket in his first two seasons with the team also got his maiden Notts ton as he reached his 100 off 145 balls. Wessels and Edwards eventually added 303 in just 46 overs, the sixth highest fourth wicket stand in Notts history.  Wessels  fell to a fine overhead catch by Ian Sturmer off right-arm seamer Endersby at mid on for 172 off just 131 balls an innings which included 29 fours and one six.  Endersby who hails from the East End of London full name is Devon Malcolm Endersby and presumably his parents were great fans of the myopic former Derby paceman. Read was bowled making room for just 11. The General came in and added 54 in 10 overs with Edwards before being bowled by Soilleux for 19. Phillips who was appearing in only his second first-class match for Notts was caught and bowled by Sturmer hitting the ball into orbit and departing for 14. Edwards who looked certain to reach his double ton, fell leg before to the Kent off spinner and Loughborough captain Adam Riley for 195 off 271 balls which included 25 fours and three sixes. I remember Bilal the Kid getting a similar big score at the Durham Racecourse a couple of years ago, an innings which kept Hales out of the team for a full month.  Hopefully history will not repeat itself and the Notts batting line up will be picked solely on merit not on the strength of soft runs against schoolboys. White hit a typically determined 30 as Notts closed on 528 all out with Mr Extras hitting the honours board with a solid 31. Riki Wessels innings was easily the highlight of the day. There was time for one over for the students to negotiate as Will Tavare (nephew of Chris) hit a boundary off Graeme White as Loughborough closed on four for nought.