Adams to the fore

New Zealander Andre Adams took four wickets on his first LV County Championship appearance of the season as Nottinghamshire had the better of the opening day against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Adams, overlooked for the Black Caps tour of England, finished with figures of 4-63 after Hampshire, winning the toss, were bowled out for 293.

Dimitri Mascarenhas returned to lead Hampshire following England’s one-day series and was one of three players to hit half-centuries.

But, like John Crawley and Nic Pothas, Mascarenhas was unable to guide Hampshire towards the big total demanded on a slow and low pitch.

Hampshire made a breezy start to vindicate their captain's decision to bat first, Michael Carberry smiting seven boundaries in his 36 and Michael Brown making 25 before they became Adams’ first two victims.

Darren Pattinson dismissed Michael Lumb and Sean Irvine in his first two overs after lunch before Crawley and Pothas came together in the only substantial partnership of the Hampshire innings.

Andre Adams returned fine figures of 4-63 to help bowl Hampshire out for just 293

Without England's Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, the Nottinghamshire attack toiled against the fifth-wicket pair, who put on 95 in 25 overs.

But just as it looked as if Hampshire were heading for a commanding total, left-arm spinner Samit Patel put a break on the scoring.

Patel had Pothas leg before attempting to turn the ball to leg after making 56, his highest score of the season.

Crawley, rested for the Twenty20 Cup, came into the match with a career first-class average of 87 and almost 2,000 runs against Nottinghamshire.

He showed he had lost none of his taste for the Nottinghamshire bowling in a circumspect half-century, taking 126 balls to reach the landmark and hitting six fours.

But Adams returned to knock back his middle stump before Greg Lamb lifted Patel to mid-on where Paul Franks held an easy catch.

Mascarenhas held together the Hampshire lower order, hitting eight fours in his 68-ball half-century, but the return of Charlie Shreck ended the hosts’ resistance.

Shreck flattened Mascarenhas' off-stump and then bowled last man Nantie Hayward for seven in the 88th over.

Shreck finished with 2-77, Patel took 2-57 in a long stint of 19 overs and Pattinson finished returned figures of 2-63.

Nottinghamshire were left with six overs to survive and opener Will Jefferson got the benefit of a long and loud appeal from Mascarenhas for lbw as Nottinghamshire ended the day by reducing the deficit by 13 runs.