Stuart Broad dismissed former England team-mate Sir Alastair Cook while Luke Fletcher took six wickets as Essex collapsed to 99 all out against Nottinghamshire on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash.
On a day where wickets were in freefall in a few parts of the country, Broad made early inroads after Nottinghamshire elected to bowl first at Trent Bridge, coming round the wicket to have his ex-international captain Cook caught behind, before the defending county and Bob Willis Trophy champions progressed to 61 for two.
Nick Browne (53) and Dan Lawrence (14) had steadied the ship but they were the only two Essex batsmen that reached double figures as the visitors subsided dramatically after 41 overs, with Fletcher taking a career-best six for 24.
🎥 Ten wickets-a-tumbling.#NottsvEssex live stream 👉 https://t.co/oFPOuXo9vH pic.twitter.com/3jFGU3xBqA — Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 6, 2021
Fletcher, who bagged five for 28 against Derbyshire last week, took his wickets in two spells, the second bringing him five for 11 in seven overs, including a triple-wicket maiden in a dizzying hour after lunch.
Shane Snater took three wickets to leave Nottinghamshire wobbling on 84 for four but an unbroken 104-run stand between Lyndon James (42 not out) and captain Steven Mullaney (63no) carried them to 188 without further loss.
Just 39 overs were possible on a rain-shortened day between Lancashire and Glamorgan at Emirates Old Trafford, but James Anderson laid down a marker for this winter's Ashes on his first appearance of the season.
A calf niggle has led to Anderson being a conspicuous absentee in the early weeks of the campaign but he made up for lost time, accounting for Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, back for a second overseas stint with Glamorgan.
Anderson dismissed him for 12 with a superb delivery that took an outside edge, and he went on to finish with figures of one for 22 from 13 exemplary overs as Glamorgan finished on 117 for three after choosing to bat first.
🎙️ "@jimmy9 of 🏴 has dismissed @marnus3cricket of 🇦🇺" The highlight of a rain-interrupted day ⬇️ 🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/IeNIG4Z0Uy — Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) May 6, 2021
Lewis Gregory took four for 26 while there were two wickets apiece for Craig Overton and Josh Davey as Somerset rolled Hampshire for a meagre 79 before closing on 142 for five at the Ageas Bowl.
Joe Weatherley was the batsman in Hampshire's top six to get out of single figures while the opener's 20 was their best effort after they lost the toss and were skittled after 40.3 overs.
Somerset captain Tom Abell's unbeaten 52 means the away side are firmly on top heading into the second day.
Fifteen wickets also fell at Wantage Road, where Sussex were able to get to post three figures after stumbling to 25 for seven at Northamptonshire, largely thanks to Ollie Robinson's 49 not out.
The Somerset Captain standing tall with a crucial unbeaten 5️⃣2️⃣ 👏👏#WeAreSomerset #HAMvSOM pic.twitter.com/XBSbRdKdsT — Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) May 6, 2021
After Sussex were all out for 106 in 42.2 overs, after being inserted into bat, Robinson, tipped for an England call-up this summer, then took four for 31 although Northants are on top after closing on 214 for five, thanks to half-centuries from Rob Keogh (66) and Saif Zaib (66no).
David Payne's five for 31 restricted Middlesex to 210 after they were asked to bat first against Gloucestershire, who closed on 19 for one in reply at Lord's.
Robert Yates' 104 was the cornerstone of Warwickshire's 271 for seven in the midlands derby against Worcestershire, who decided to field first at Edgbaston.
Zak Crawley fell 10 runs short of a century for Kent, who were put in and went to stumps on 224 for seven against Yorkshire at Headingley, while centuries for Sam Evans (112) and Marcus Harris (101) lifted Leicestershire to 306 for six after they won the toss against Surrey at Grace Road.
