Nottinghamshire enjoyed a fruitful return to championship cricket as they dominated the opening day of their game against Middlesex at Uxbridge.
After winning the toss and inviting the home side to bat first, Chris Read’s side dismissed Middlesex for just 98, with Andre Adams claiming figures of 6-32.
In response, Notts lost four wickets but ended a rain-shortened final session on 114-4, an overall lead of 16.
“It was especially pleasing to get rid of someone of Strauss’ calibre – it was very nice indeed.”
Adams’ haul – his fourth of five-wickets or more this season – included the wicket of England captain Andrew Strauss, a dismissal that clearly delighted the New Zealander.
“It angled in, straightened from middle and off and clipped the top of the off stump," he said.
"With the right line and length and that bit of seam movement, I’d put that in my top three deliveries of all time.
“It was especially pleasing to get rid of someone of Strauss’ calibre – it was very nice indeed.”
With fourteen wickets going down, on an abridged day, the 36-year old agreed that it was a good toss for his side to have won.
“The ball was swinging a little bit and there was a little bit of seam movement so it wasn’t much fun for the batsmen. Nevertheless we had to keep putting the ball in decent areas and we all did it today.”
Nottinghamshire’s return to championship action saw Mick Newell make one change from the side that played in the drawn fixture against Lancashire a month ago, with Ben Phillips returning in place of Paul Franks.
The pretty Uxbridge outground opened its gates to the public at 10am and a rush of eager customers quickly seized the best vantage points.
Torrential rain during the previous evening had left a soggy outfield and the umpires put the start back by 45 minutes.
Ben Phillips, rested during the t20 group matches, made the initial breakthrough as Sam Robson (2) nicked through to Read in the fifth over.
Aided by two sharp catches at second slip by Adam Voges, the left-arm pace of Harry Gurney then reduced Middlesex to 24-3 by dismissing both Chris Rogers (5) and Joe Denly (0).
Andrew Strauss punctured the off-side for three boundaries but he was then forced to witness two further set-backs at the other end as Andre Adams struck twice in his opening over.
His third delivery found the edge of Dawid Malan’s bat (6) for Alex Hales to pouch a low offering at first slip. The next ball nipped back through the defences to bowl John Simpson (0).
The last Nottinghamshire hat-trick was taken by Charlie Shreck against Middlesex in 2006. Adams couldn’t have come much closer to emulating his former team-mate as he and the entire side went up for an lbw shout against Gareth Berg but umpire Bodenham turned away the appeal.
Five wickets inside the first hour was a dream start to the contest for the visitors and at lunch Middlesex had scrambled to 46-5.
The afternoon session began with a fruitful extension of the sixth wicket stand between Strauss and Gareth Berg. They had added 63 together in almost 20 overs when Adams struck for the third time.
Strauss had just reached his fifty (97 balls 6x4) when the Auckland ace bowled him to leave Middlesex on 97-6. Fifteen deliveries later – for the addition of just one run – the innings closed on 98 all out.
For the second time in the day Adams picked up two wickets in an over, having Ollie Rayner (0) caught behind.
Tim Murtagh (0) pushed aggressively at Andy Carter and gave Hales another catch before Adams again claimed two wickets in quick succession to polish off the innings.
Berg (32) had batted beautifully but, sensing he was being left high and dry, heaved across the line and was palpably lbw to Adams, who followed up by enticing Corey Collymore (0) to guide the ball into the hands of Patel at third slip.
The discipline of the bowling, the outfielding and, especially, the catching, was exemplary from Nottinghamshire as the fourth-placed side in the table were blown away in less than 36 overs.
Alex Hales (14) looked to be trying to clip Collymore to leg when he was given out lbw in the 8th over but a stand of 49 then steadied the ship and prevented too many early alarm bells.
Riki Wessels (34) nicked Berg through to Simpson before two more wickets fell either side of the Middx total.
With the scores level Patel (18) went lbw to Murtagh and the same bowler then James Taylor (3) also caught behind.
Michael Lumb (35 not out) and Voges (8 not out) kept their wickets intact, although Lumb was put down by a difficult caught and bowled from Berg when he had reached 26.
With fifteen overs still remaining, with light rain falling and dark clouds overhead, the umpires took the players from the field, although much more play had been squeezed in than had been forecast.