It started off unpromisingly, as Sayers awoke expecting to lead the Second XI in a match at Stamford Bridge, having been dropped from the first team two months ago.

So too did Yorkshire's, as stand-in captain Anthony McGrath woke up with a stiff hamstring that forced him out of the game – he is expected to recover in time for next week's matches. His deputy Jacques Rudolph then lost the toss.

Sayers's day perked up with a short-notice recall, in place of McGrath, and he rushed down the M1, his arrival on the field in the afternoon session heralding a clatter of wickets.

Yorkshire's also perked up when Matthew Hoggard and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan reduced Nottinghamshire to 61-3, and their contentedness reached a pinnacle when the hosts lost four wickets for one run in 18 balls after tea and were hurried out for 213.

Sayers's day ended in disappointment as his return to Championship action was marked with yet another low score. So did Yorkshire's, as their reply rather diminished their efforts in the field. They resume this morning on 72-5.

Chris Taylor fell in the first over on his first Championship appearance of the season after injury; fellow opener Sayers soon followed.

Rudolph and Adam Lyth then put on 50 runs together, but Rudolph's departure sparked yet another collapse, with three wickets falling for four runs before the close. In all, nine men perished in 32 overs in the evening session. The movement has not been extravagant but there has been swing and seam in overcast conditions, and the occasional ball has kept low.

Rudolph had been largely untroubled, as was the case with Nottinghamshire's Matthew Wood and Adam Voges before they fell. He will wonder how a batsman of his calibre was dismissed by Mark Ealham's wobbly dobbers, which also accounted for Andrew Gale, but all of Yorkshire's top-five were dismissed trying to defend.

The under-rated Charlie Shreck removed Taylor and Sayers, both caught in the slips as they failed to counter his lift; Lyth, who had ridden his luck for 22, pushed forward to Andre Adams and edged to slip.

Five of the hosts' top seven made starts without being able to go on. Rana, jagging the ball about off a full-length and at sharp pace, bowled Mark Wagh, had Samit Patel lbw and had Wood caught behind. All were terrific deliveries. So too was the ball with which Matthew Hoggard had opener Bilal Shafayat caught at slip.

Hoggard returned to have Voges caught at short extra-cover, and Deon Kruis found the perfect length to have Graeme Swann caught behind.

Adil Rashid, Tim Bresnan and a run-out polished off the Nottinghamshire innings in the evening session, but overall, there were perhaps too many loose balls.

The first innings of a Championship match can be deceptive. Instead of congratulating themselves on their bowling, Yorkshire may now be feeling they let their hosts score too many.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan

Back from injury, this was the player that Yorkshire thought they had signed from Sussex. Fast, thoughtful and moved the ball in both directions.