Ben Slater delivered a masterclass in batting as Nottinghamshire seized control on the opening day of their County Championship clash against East Midlands rivals Leicestershire. The opener's superb 178, laced with 24 boundaries, powered the 2025 champions to an imposing 405-4 at Uptonsteel Grace Road.
Slater found excellent support from England international Ben Duckett (77) and Joe Clarke, who remained unbeaten on 80, as Nottinghamshire's top order dominated from the start. For Leicestershire, last season's Division Two champions, it was a tough return to top-flight cricket after winning the toss on what initially appeared a bowler-friendly pitch.
The home side's hopes were dealt an early blow when seamer Josh Davey limped off following an awkward fall in the field, forcing an injury substitution with Tom Scriven coming in during the final session. Ben Green (3-88) was the lone bright spot for the Leicestershire attack, but he lacked consistent support.
The early signs were promising for the hosts when Davey's inswinger deceived Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed in the opening over, the ball narrowly missing off stump as the skipper offered no shot. Ian Holland then beat Slater twice in his first over, but the breakthrough proved elusive.
Slater quickly found his rhythm, cutting and driving with precision throughout the day. He raced to his third half-century of the season from just 68 balls, collecting eight boundaries along the way. Green eventually found the edge to dismiss Hameed, with wicketkeeper Ben Cox taking an excellent catch, but that was the only wicket to fall in the morning session as Nottinghamshire reached 120-1 at lunch.
The afternoon brought more of the same dominance. Duckett punished Holland with three crisp straight drives in succession, while Slater continued to accumulate runs. Duckett brought up his third consecutive fifty from 52 balls, dispatching Green down the ground with similar authority.
Slater's momentum briefly stalled as he worked through the 90s over a dozen overs, but when his first century of the season finally arrived, it sparked a celebration that underlined Nottinghamshire's complete control of the contest.