Duckett's Century Anchors Nottinghamshire on Opening Day

Nottinghamshire's batting lineup showcased resilience and determination on the opening day of their Vitality Championship Division One clash against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Ben Duckett's masterful unbeaten century of 197 anchored the innings, guiding his team to a respectable 367 for 8.

Duckett's innings was a testament to his maturity and composure. He faced 230 deliveries, constructing his knock with patience and precision. His innings featured a wide array of strokes, including 23 boundaries and a six.

Despite Duckett's heroics, Nottinghamshire's batting display was inconsistent. Ben Slater (65) and Jack Haynes (74) also made significant contributions, but no other batter managed to reach double figures. Warwickshire's attack, led by the experienced Oliver Hannon-Dalby, kept the pressure on throughout the day.

Hannon-Dalby, in his 200th appearance for Warwickshire, was the standout performer with figures of 19-3-58-4. His accurate bowling and ability to extract movement from the pitch proved challenging for Nottinghamshire's batters.

The match began with Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed opting to bat first. However, he departed early, caught at cover off Hannon-Dalby. Slater was fortunate to survive an early chance when he was dropped by Jake Bethell at third slip.

Duckett and Slater then combined for a 146-run partnership, providing a solid foundation for Nottinghamshire. Slater played with increasing fluency, hitting 10 fours in his innings. However, Hannon-Dalby's return to the attack proved decisive, as he dismissed Slater with a superb away-cutter.

The loss of Slater triggered a collapse, with Nottinghamshire losing three wickets for 15 runs. Will Young and Joe Clarke, who had shared a record partnership against Somerset last week, managed just five runs between them.

Duckett found a reliable partner in Haynes, who struck 11 fours in an attractive knock. However, the introduction of the new ball brought another cluster of wickets. Hannon-Dalby trapped Haynes lbw, while Hasan Ali dismissed Lyndon James and Calvin Harrison.

With Nottinghamshire eight wickets down, Duckett needed nine runs for his double century. He reached the milestone with an audacious ramp shot over the wicketkeeper's head off Will Rhodes. However, bad light forced an early close, leaving Duckett stranded on 197 overnight.

Tags: #Nottinghamshire, #Warwickshire, #VitalityChampionship, #BenDuckett, #OliverHannonDalby