County Championship: Joe Clarke ton gives Nottinghamshire advantage over Yorkshire

Joe Clarke's first County Championship century of the summer put Nottinghamshire on top after a fascinating first day at Trent Bridge.

Having been put in to bat by Yorkshire, the home team closed day one on 292-9.

Needing a victory to have a realistic chance of winning the title, Notts were in trouble before tea at 173-6.

But Clarke's 109 and his seventh-wicket stand of 97 with Joey Evison (58 not out), turned it in their favour as the hosts picked up two batting points.

They certainly would have settled for that after Yorkshire captain Ben Coad won the toss and put them in on a green-looking pitch.

Openers Ben Slater (18) and Haseeb Hameed (23) got through the first hour, but the White Rose fought back to have the home side 79-3 at lunch.

Clarke and captain Steven Mullaney (31) launched a counter-attack in the afternoon with a flurry of boundaries - with one of the boundaries particularly short for this fixture - before the Notts skipper fell to his Yorkshire counterpart Coad.

With Tom Moores and Liam Patterson-White getting in and then out, they could not find the partnership needed for a good first innings score.

But Evison offered valuable support to Clarke, who was twice dropped at second slip by Adam Lyth.

Having made seven fifties but not scored more than 67 in the Championship this season, the 25-year-old England Lions batsman was desperate to cash in and he brought up his hundred in style with a big six off Coad.

Evison made his maiden first-class 50, and with those two at the crease, Notts were looking at 350. But from 270-6, they lost three wickets before the close, starting with Clarke, to end the day eight short of 300 - and a third batting point.

Needing every point they can to push the three teams ahead of them, scraping that extra point could be vital on day two.

Nottinghamshire centurion Joe Clarke:

"For me there's a bit of relief in getting a hundred because I've had a few starts this year, a few fifties, so it is nice to convert one. Some of the fifties I have made this season were on difficult wickets and they contributed to some good wins. But of course it plays on your mind a little bit.

"I had my luck with a couple of chances that could have gone against me but I'm a bit disappointed I'm not out there, having got the team to 300. That is quite important in the game and the standings.

"From a team point of view, we know we are just a few runs short of a another point that could be potentially crucial. But, in the context of the game we feel we have got more than par on that wicket."

Yorkshire stand-in skipper Ben Coad:

"It is a pitch where there is always something in it. When it does nip, it does it a lot but I don't think we bowled as well as we could. They are a little bit over par.

"Adam Lyth has put down a couple of chances but these things happen. If we bat like I know we can there is no reason we can't match their total.

"The young lads, when they are called on, are doing a great job. Harry Duke has taken six catches, George Hill has not bowled that many first-class overs but he bowled brilliantly and Matthew Revis with the second new ball has done a great job."