Marcus Harris has missed out on the chance to celebrate his Ashes call-up for Australia with a statement knock in the county championship as wickets tumbled plentifully in Gloucestershire's clash with Worcestershire.
But England's own nailed-on opener for the series, Ben Duckett, enjoyed himself at the start of Thursday's latest round of matches, scoring an unbeaten ton for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex at Lord's.
Harris, who's at the front of the queue alongside Matt Renshaw for an opener's spot should David Warner's Test struggles continue, had begun his county campaign with an impressive century and half-century against Glamorgan at Cardiff last time out.
But there seemed little chance of a repeat on a difficult morning at Worcester with the ball seaming around, as Harris's resistance for more than half-an-hour, battling for 25 balls for just a single as three wickets tumbled at the other end, ended with him playing back to Joe Leach to be trapped lbw.
On a day when 17 wickets fell in all, with Worcestershire ending on 7-118 in response to Gloucestershire's 231, the unquestioned star was English allrounder Tom Price, who smacked a defiant maiden county ton off 93 balls coming in at No.9 before taking a hat-trick with the ball - all caught behind.
At Lord's, where he'll be odds-on to spearhead England's batting in the second Test, Duckett got an early break when one outside edge squeezed between wicketkeeper and first slip but then went on to reach his first three-figure score of the season.
Duckett continued smoothly to make an unbeaten 119, guiding Notts to 5-252 in an innings which will delight England captain Ben Stokes.
Another England Ashes certainty James Anderson (2-56) took a couple of early wickets for Lancashire against Somerset, but unbeaten hundreds from captain Tom Abell (119no) and teenager James Rew (114no) ensured it was the home side's day at Taunton.
As they finished on 4-311, Australian Cameron Bancroft, who may have been feeling a hangover after missing out on Ashes selection, was notably absent from the run gathering, getting caught behind for just seven in the morning.
Marnus Labuschagne will be licking his lips at making his season's debut for Glamorgan at Cardiff as Durham racked up 6-382 with four players making swift half-centuries.
The Australian No.1-ranked Test batter instead had to settle to try to stem the runs with his spin, and proved to have a little success while also taking some stick, ending up with 2-73 off his 15 overs while his Aussie colleague Michael Neser took 1-55 off 19.
At Wantage Road, Hampshire closed on 4-287 after being put in by Northamptonshire with Nick Gubbins (125) and former England Test batter James Vince (104no) putting on a stand of 198.
With PA
