Pattinson tickled pink by County return

The pink ball has wreaked havoc on batsmen in England's County Championship, with wickets tumbling – and Aussie speedster James Pattinson leading the way.

Pattinson added three more wickets to his season tally for Nottinhamshire, all coming in a blistering opening spell of eight balls that conceded zero runs.

He now has 31 first-class wickets for the season at the amazing average of 10.45. Pattinson finished with 3-30 from 12 overs, as Notts bowled out Kent for 180

Victoria teammate John Hastings also added three wickets for Durham in their match against Worcestershire, bowling out the visitors for 197. Hastings picked up 3-44 from 17 overs.

One of Hastings' victims was England allrounder Ben Stokes, dismissed for a seven-ball duck in an unhappy stay against the pink ball.

Durham then elevated Hastings to No.3 with a licence to slog in the twilight and the big-hitting Aussie plundered one massive six before departing for 12, one of three wickets for England seamer Mark Wood.

And Pakistan new-ball sensation Mohammad Amir continued his rich vein of form in England after linking up with Essex.

Fresh from Pakistan's Champions Trophy triumph against India, Amir collected 2-53 in 16 overs to help bowl out defending champions Middlesex for 246 at Chelmsford.

Both his wickets came via leg before wicket decisions, the first in his first over of county cricket.

County cricket is following suit from Australia's Sheffield Shield where day-night first-class matches have been played for the past few seasons, ahead of England's first day-night Test match against the West Indies in August at Edgbaston.

England's veteran swing bowler James Anderson did enough to show he might be a handful under lights in Adelaide come this summer's Ashes, but had some sympathy for batters on the receiving end.

"I've had no experience with pink balls. I don't think the batsmen are hugely in favour of it," said Anderson before play got underway.

"All the reports I've heard of day-night Test matches are that the twilight period is really difficult to bat in.

"It's great all the England players are available, not just because it's a pink-ball game, but a round of county games with all the England players available is a stronger one, and probably a more exciting one."

Incumbent England opener Haseeb Hameed may not have been as excited, after another cheap out, dismissed for 17, to continue his poor form this summer and put his Test spot further in jeopardy.

However not all batters had issues with the pink ball – rising Northamptonshire batter Ben Duckett blazed his way to an 89-ball century before lunch.

Restored to the top of the Northants order, he crunched no fewer than 20 boundaries, before eventually falling for 112 from 102 balls.

At Headingley, Sri Lanka superstar Kumar Sangakkara continued his domination of the English domestic scene, cruising to an unbeaten 82 against a Yorkshire side featuring Ashes rivals Peter Handscomb and Joe Root.