On a rain-interrupted first day at Trent Bridge, Warwickshire, put in to bat by Chris Read, reached 233-3 by the close, with their captain Ian Bell undefeated on 67.

It was a tough day for the Nottinghamshire attack, with Director of Cricket Mick Newell admitting that his side hadn’t begun the contest well. 

“When you put somebody in, you are hoping to have them at least three wickets down by lunch,” he said. 

“We bowled OK but we weren’t at our best in the first half hour but the score doesn’t reflect how well we bowled generally.

“When you put somebody in, you are hoping to have them at least three wickets down by lunch." Mick Newell

“We did beat the bat on a number of occasions and had a couple of lbw shouts which didn’t go our way but they were 40-0 before we really got started.”

Newell says he will be looking for his side to make early inroads on the second day: “We need to pick up quick wickets in the morning before the second new ball becomes available and then look to get them out for less than 350.”

After missing the previous two LV= County Championship matches, Ali Brown returned to the side in place of Samit Patel, who was absent on England Lions duty, with Paul Franks returning for the injured Neil Edwards.

Steven Mullaney was passed fit after coming through a Second Eleven Trophy match on Tuesday, so the only other change from Hove saw Charlie Shreck recalled, at the expense of Luke Fletcher. 

Warwickshire’s side included both of their England Test batsmen, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott as well as Pakistan international Mohammad Yousuf. 

Varun Chopra, with two double hundreds to his credit already this season, opened alongside Ireland’s ICC Cricket World Cup captain Will Porterfield. The opening passage of play featured eye-catching boundaries from them both – Chopra punching Charlie Shreck through the covers and Porterfield twice hitting Stuart Broad straight down the ground.

The fifty stand came up in the 12th over and the pair had extended their partnership to 72 when the returning Shreck made the breakthrough. Chopra had edged Adams in the previous over, with the ball not quite carrying to the slips.

He wasn’t so lucky when he snicked Shreck in the next over. Adam Voges, playing in his 100th first class fixture, made no mistake low down at first slip.

Porterfield then teased two of the Nottinghamshire fielders. Pulling Adams vigorously to midwicket, he saw Mark Wagh just get a hand to it without being able to hold on – then Steven Mullaney, at third slip leapt salmon-like as a wild slash flew just over his head, despite the fielder again getting a mere touch to the ball.

After ninety minutes of play – and with the score on 102-1 – steady rain intensified and sent the players scurrying to the pavilion.

Either side of an early lunch, a further 75 minutes were lost to the elements, before play resumed at 2.20pm. 

Porterfield worked Adams down to third man for the boundary four which brought up his half century but after just ten deliveries – and as many runs - the showers returned.

Play re-started at 4.30pm with 34.2 overs remaining – meaning an overall loss of 37 overs on the day.

Having passed his fifty, Porterfield was then becalmed and paid the price by falling for 54. A thin edge off Adams went through to ‘keeper Read and umpire Millns sent the reluctant batsman on his way.

Jonathan Trott scored his first 16 runs in boundaries and looked well set in adding 60 with Ian Bell. The Bears’ skipper had reached his own fifty in a typically stylish manner but then lost his partner for 32.

Trott, like Porterfield, will have felt confident of making a large contribution but a thin whisker on a ball from Paul Franks halted his progress.

Mohammad Yousaf ran Franks to the third man boundary to get off the mark and added solid support for Bell as the pair kept their fourth wicket partnership intact until the 6.45pm close.