Liam Patterson-White returned career-best bowling figures as Nottinghamshire enjoyed a strong opening day at Division One leaders Essex.
After Essex had chosen to bat first in almost ideal conditions, Patterson-White made the hosts potentially regret such a decision by taking 6/43 as they were bowled out for 184.
With the sun continuing to beam down on the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground throughout the day, Haseeb Hameed then led Notts’ response with an unbeaten 68 as the visitors closed on 111-2, just 73 behind.
It was a show of dominance from Patterson-White, who, despite this ground’s reputation, was in a class of his own that was only further demonstrated by the fact that Essex’s Simon Harmer, so often the premier spinner in the county game, went wicketless in his 11 day one overs.
It wasn’t the left-armer who first put Notts on the board, though, with that honour falling to Brett Hutton in the tenth over when he had former South Africa captain Dean Elgar lbw for 12.
Elgar’s fellow opener Paul Walter then followed, though also not to spin as quick Olly Stone produced a peach that caught his outside edge on the way through to Kyle Verreynne, also for 12.
From thereon in, though, it was very much the Patterson-White show, as he claimed six of the final eight to fall, and was also bowling when Haseeb Hameed effected a run-out.
He brought about an early lunch with a decisive intervention as Tom Westley, having added 56 with Charlie Allison for the third wicket, was caught by Freddie McCann at second slip for 44.
That proved to be a catalyst for the visitors, as having claimed three in the morning session, the afternoon brought a flurry as Essex capitulated to lose their last seven wickets for just 94 runs.
Just 16 deliveries into the afternoon, Hameed gathered a tentative defensive shot from Matt Critchley before beating Charlie Allison to his ground with the assistance of Kyle Verreynne.
Perhaps then affected by the run-out, Critchley himself lasted just five more deliveries before becoming Fergus O’Neill’s first scalp of the game, pinned lbw for one.
A punchy cameo from Michael Pepper did push the hosts past three figures, but he too perished to Patterson-White for 24 from 26 balls, leaving the hosts struggling at 128-6.
Harmer himself was then beaten at his own game as he was bowled by one that turned away and beat his outside edge, and his side’s innings barely lasted much longer.
Despite as resistant stand of 43 from Charlie Bennett and Shane Snater for the ninth wicket, Patterson-White soon mopped up the tail with the final three scalps.
His haul of five came when he saw off Bennett, caught by Lyndon James in the slips, and he then claimed his first ever six-fer when Snater missed a wild swipe and was bowled.
The idea that there were any demons in the pitch was then comprehensively dismissed by Hameed, who ended his evening session cameo unbeaten after posting an 82-ball fifty.
Freddie McCann also contributed 16, while Joe Clarke made 25 not out and shared in an as-yet-unbroken third-wicket stand of 56 with Hameed.
Together, the duo fluently shifted more pressure back onto the hosts, enjoying the most of the late afternoon sunshine to push the score beyond three figures and put Notts into the driving seat heading into day two.
