LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Trent Bridge:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Nottinghamshire 396-8 v Kent
(Notts 4 pts, Kent 2 pts)
Match scorecard

Amla has joined Notts as cover for Australian batsman David Hussey

Hashim Amla struck a century on his debut as Nottinghamshire took charge against Kent at Trent Bridge.

South African international Amla (129) shared stands of 103 with fellow Notts Championship debutant Neil Edwards (85) and 125 with captain Chris Read (62).

He was eventually stumped by Geraint Jones off the bowling of Darren Stevens before the hosts closed on 396-8.

Paceman Amjad Khan (3-85) was Kent's most successful bowler as the visitors toiled after winning the toss.

After the hosts were asked to bat on a cold, overcast day, Edwards dominated an opening stand of 41 with Bilal Shafayat, who fell to Amjad for just four thanks to a fine diving catch by Jones.

Mark Wagh was caught by James Tredwell at slip off the same bowler for a duck two balls later. But this was to signal the arrival of Amla, whose first nine scoring strokes were boundaries.

The third-wicket stand of 103 was ended when Edwards, Notts' winter arrival from Somerset, was trapped lbw on the back foot by England off-spinner Tredwell.

And, when Samit Patel and Ali Brown fell to Azhar Mahmood and Amjad respectively, the hosts were wobbling slightly at 203-5 until Read's arrival steadied the ship.

He and Amla pushed the score to 328-5 before the wicketkeeper was run out attempting a dicey single to mid-on.

Kent captain Rob Key's decision to employ the medium pace of Stevens bore fruit when Amla was stumped down the leg-side.

But although Philip Edwards subsequently had Andre Adams caught from a top-edged hook off the final ball of the day it had been a pretty good opening day for the home side.

Neil Edwards told BBC Radio Nottingham:
"I've worked really hard this pre-season. I know batting here [at Trent Bridge] will be different from where I've come from at Taunton on the flat wickets.

"I know how I want to play, I want to hit the ball nice and straight to give myself the best opportunity to see off that first 30-40 minutes where we're going to be at our most vulnerable and then cash in."

On Kent:
"I don't think they perhaps bowled as well as they would have liked. They bowled a little straight to me, and maybe quite full. I perhaps did expect them to bowl a little more disciplined than they did at me, but nothing I can do about that."

On centurion Hashim Amla (on Notts debut):
"I think we've all come to realise he's not a bad player. He came in at a time when things could have gone from bad to worse. The guy's got an awful lot of time at the wicket, he doesn't say a lot but his actions speak louder than words."

Kent coach Paul Farbrace told BBC Radio Kent:
"We felt that perhaps we were lacking in a few areas. We certainly didn't bowl well with the new ball early on and we didn't field very well.

"When you drop as many catches as we did then it's not a good day.

"All in all, it's not the best start to our season. We didn't stick to the plans we talked about so we've got to come back fighting."

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