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Ball rocks Middlesex with rare hat-trick

Nottinghamshire takes a hat-trick in the first over of the innings as county season heats up

Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball rocked title-chasing Middlesex with a first-over hat-trick in their County Championship match at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. 

Middlesex, four points clear of second-placed Yorkshire going into this round of fixtures, bowled the Midlands club out for 241 after opting to put them in to bat.

But the visitors then suddenly found themselves on 3-0 in reply as Ball, who made his England Test debut earlier this year, struck in spectacular fashion.

Former England opener Sam Robson survived Ball's first two deliveries but then edged the third to Steven Mullaney in the slips.

Ollie Rayner was then lbw first ball and after a long wait for England's Nick Compton, who ran the risk of being timed out, he too fell lbw to Ball.

It's only the second time in Nottinghamshire’s long history that a bowler has taken a hat-trick in the first over of an innings after Alan Walker did so in 1956.

Incredibly, it's the second time in consecutive English county seasons that a bowler has taken a hat-trick in the first over of an innings after Worcestershire fast bowler Joe Leach did so, ironically against Northamptonshire, last August.

Quick Single: Leach starts the match with hat-trick

Middlesex did not lose a wicket before stumps on the first day and were 3-9 at the close.

In other Division One matches on Tuesday, Australian Jake Lehmann scored 58 as Yorkshire finished day one of their match against Durham on 5-341, with Alex Lees scoring 132.

Twenty-one wickets fell on a stunning day at Taunton, with Warwickshire bowled out for just 123 after they'd routed Somerset for 95 earlier in the day. Australian Chris Rogers finished the day on 7no with Somerset 1-41 in their second innings, a lead of 13.

And at The Oval, Rory Burns scored 101 as Surrey finished with 6-260 on day one of their match against Hampshire.