Nottinghamshire's Ben Duckett achieved his first half-century of the season, bolstering his position in England's Test lineup. Following a lackluster performance in the Ashes, where he failed to reach a fifty and averaged only 20.20, Duckett's off-field behavior also raised concerns, putting his spot for the summer's first Test against New Zealand in jeopardy.
However, in his first County Championship match, he scored 25 and one against Glamorgan. At Trent Bridge, Duckett played a patient game, helping the defending champions respond to Warwickshire's impressive first-innings total of 459 in the Division One match. Haseeb Hameed's hopes for an international recall seem slim after a tough start to the campaign, including a 14-ball duck, while Ben Slater soon followed for 26.
Duckett and Joe Clarke shared a 116-run partnership to steer Notts away from trouble, but Duckett gave away his wicket for 62, driving loosely at a delivery from Rob Yates. Ollie Pope, meanwhile, continued to press his claims for a Test recall with a 69 for Surrey against Essex. Pope had a difficult Ashes series and was dropped after the third Test, but he has been working to regain his form, scoring 103 and 83 not out against Leicestershire earlier in the season.
In response to Essex's 409 all out, Surrey lost Rory Burns and Jamie Smith cheaply, but Pope rebuilt alongside Dom Sibley, sharing a 105-run stand before miscuing a drive straight back to Jamie Porter.