County Championship Division One: Neil Wagner breaks record

Neil Wagner returned the best bowling figures on first-class debut for Lancashire since 1923 as the Red Rose enjoyed a good first day to their game against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford.

New Zealand left-arm seamer Wagner took 6-66 to help dismiss Nottinghamshire for 242, with visiting skipper Chris Read offering predictably determined resistance with an innings of 52.

In reply Karl Brown was leg before for a duck when playing no shot to Jake Ball but Luke Procter and Haseeb Hameed saw promoted Lancashire to 25-1 after 19 overs at the close of an absorbing evening session.

The day had also begun well for the home bowlers as they reduced the visitors to 73-4, Jarvis and Wagner taking two wickets apiece after Read had chosen to have first use of what looked a good batting pitch.

Although plenty of attention was paid to James Anderson's return to the Lancashire side, the England bowler ended the innings wicketless and it was Jarvis who made the first breakthrough when Steven Mullaney nicked him to
wicketkeeper Alex Davies and departed for 19.

Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow hit first day centuries to ensure Yorkshire's quest for a third successive title started smoothly against Hampshire.

In front of England's national selector James Whitaker, Lyth made 111 with Bairstow unbeaten on 107 by the time bad light stopped play - between them accounting for the bulk of their side's 270-5.

If the latter's runs were largely to be expected, given his stellar form last term and a revelatory Test of South Africa over the winter, Lyth's will have been just as well received by the watching Whitaker.

The opener last made a first-class hundred 11 months ago, in the second of seven Test appearances, and had a top-score of 67 in 12 championship innings last season.

The left-hander was lucky to see a return catch fumbled by Fidel Edwards with 14 to his name, but he was otherwise emphatic through the cover region and anchored the innings intelligently until he was lbw propping forward to Sean Ervine.

Bairstow played in two distinct gears, reaching his half-century in 63 balls before taking 104 additional deliveries to reach three figures.

A sublime, unbeaten century from Sam Robson saw Middlesex take control of their opening match of the season against Warwickshire.

Robson finished on 175 not out, having shared in a 180-run opening stand with Nick Gubbins, as Middlesex closed the first day on 317-4 at Lord's.

While it could hardly have gone any better for the hosts, Warwickshire did not enjoy the day captain Ian Bell would have envisioned when, for the second successive Sunday, he invited the home team to bat without a toss.

Warwickshire, missing injured bowlers Chris Woakes and Boyd Rankin went wicketless in the first session as Robson and Gubbins, who made a stylish 68, punished the many loose balls served up on a sluggish surface.