Luke Wood rescued Nottinghamshire with a thrilling maiden century at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire youngster Luke Wood scored a brilliant maiden century and then took a pair of wickets as the first day of the LV=County Championship match against Sussex got off to a sensational start at Trent Bridge.

Having been put into bat, Nottinghamshire slumped to 55-6 but 19-year-old left-hander Wood, playing just his fifth first class match, came in at number nine and smashed 100 from 96 balls.

The hosts eventually reached 255 all out and they then reduced Sussex to 39-3, with Wood again to the fore, this time in his main role as a left-arm seamer.

The day began brilliantly for Sussex when Steve Magoffin (6-109) removed Brendan Taylor (9) and James Taylor (0) lbw.

In between, Chris Jordan (2-69) showed off his fantastic athleticism, taking a fine return catch to remove Steven Mullaney (11), and Notts were four down when Jordan clean bowled Alex Hales (6).

After a 25-minute rain delay, Magoffin struck twice more, having Riki Wessels (7) caught behind by Ben Brown and Samit Patel (17) taken at slip.

However, Will Gidman (57) led the fightback, making his first Nottinghamshire 50 since joining from Gloucestershire in the winter.

The fall of Greg Smith (14) brought Wood to the crease and he was soon on the offensive in an innings which featured 10 boundaries and six maximums.

He added 75 for the eighth wicket with Gidman and 46 for the ninth in just six overs with Jake Ball (15) who hit a couple of sixes himself.

When last man Harry Gurney came to the wicket Wood was on 72 but, aided by a pair of last-ball-of-the-over byes, the duo worked the strike so that Wood faced every ball of their 27-run stand.

And he turned spinner Luke Wells to leg to score the two runs he needed to reach his century, before he was caught by Brown when he nicked the next ball.

Wood was soon back in the thick of things though, having Michael Yardy (2) taken at slip and Matt Machan (20) caught by Gidman.

Ball had already taken the first wicket of the innings, trapping Wells (10) lbw, and Nottinghamshire will be thrilled with the match situation after their poor start.

Wood said of his century: “It's probably the best feeling I've ever had on a cricket field.

"I couldn't see us getting 200 as a team, let alone me getting a hundred, but it's been pretty phenomenal how it has turned out and to get two wickets at the end has topped it off nicely.”

At Lord’s, Laurie Evans made a gritty 98 as Warwickshire scored 342 all out against Middlesex, who then reached 39-1 at stumps on day two.

Bad light and rain meant only 67.3 overs were bowled and a chilly and blustery day came to a halt for good at 5.07pm.

Warwickshire resumed on 148-3 but soon lost Jonathan Trott (45), who was caught behind by John Simpson off a fine delivery from Toby Roland-Jones (2-73), who bowled a testing first spell of the day.

Tim Ambrose (20) combined with Evans to add 48 for the fifth wicket and Rikki Clarke (15) helped to add 33 for the sixth.

Evans then looked poised to complete a fine hundred, only to fall two runs short, bowled as he drove at Steven Finn (4-84), who was armed with the second new ball.

That made it 253-7 but Warwickshire’s lower order hit out to good effect, Jeetan Patel (37) and Keith Barker (37) adding 72 for the eighth wicket in 15 overs.

The visitors also managed to take a Middlesex wicket before the close, Chris Wright removing Joe Burns (4), who has two Test caps for Australia.

Evans said: "It was a shame I couldn't get those two extra runs to complete a hundred, especially as this is the first four-day match I have played at Lord's.

"But, to be honest, I could have got out at any stage, and so to score 98 is good.

"We were looking at around 250 as a good total in the conditions, so to get almost 350 is over-achieving a bit on that pitch.”

Elsewhere, Worcestershire appear to be on top after day two of their clash with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

The visitors reached stumps on 221-3, with Daryl Mitchell 80 not out, and they are just a run behind Hampshire, who were bowled out for 222 in their first innings.

Hampshire are currently bottom of the Division One standings and they began the day on 119-4 but lost their final six wickets for the addition of just 103 more runs, Worcestershire seamer Joe Leach finishing with 5-63.

The hosts struggled in the first session from the moment they lost James Vince (8), who mistimed a pull against Leach and played on.

Will Smith (40) provided the bulk of the resistance but he edged into his own stumps to give New Zealander Colin Munro (1-10) a wicket in his first over in first class cricket in England.

Leach's five wickets took his tally for the season to 23 and Worcestershire soon capitalised on his good work, despite a wicket which offered plenty of assistance to the pace bowlers throughout.

Mitchell and Richard Oliver (33) put on 62 for the first Worcestershire wicket, Tom Fell (48) then helped to add a further 94 for the second, and Alex Gidman (29) combined with Mitchell to add 58 for the third before falling to a tumbling catch by Vince, who was acting as stand-in wicketkeeper because Adam Wheater had picked up a knee injury.

Skipper Mitchell has batted for 202 balls so far and Leach said: “We have got a very high regard for him. He is the lynchpin of our batting and has not got as many runs this season as he would have liked.

"You could see by the reception he got when he came off the field how delighted we were for him.

"At this level, if you bowl out a side for 222 you have to be happy. It vindicated our decision to bowl first.”