Sam Atkinson picked up his maiden five-wicket haul for Staffordshire, but it was Lincolnshire who edged the opening day of the NCCA Championship encounter at Checkley.
Atkinson’s 5-70 was integral to Lincolnshire being dismissed for 246 in the formative stages of the Division One East clash at the Four Trees venue, but the visitors then roared back in the evening session.
Staffordshire closed on 159-8, in which opener Matt Morris top-scored with 45 and captain Michael Hill, deputising for the unavailable James Kettleborough, made 39 not out.
And not for the first time in Staffordshire’s recent history, the run-scoring responsibility rests on Hill’s shoulders as he looks to guide the tailenders through the rest of the innings.
Staffs’ venture to the crease wasn’t the way they would have envisaged backing up Atkinson’s five wickets, after what was a topsy-turvy first part of the day.
Lincolnshire were grateful to Jordan Cook’s 68, 41 from Sam Evans and Drew Sylvester’s 40 for helping them to their tally after they were invited to bat.
Staffordshire bowled impressively throughout the morning session, but tailed off slightly in the early part of the afternoon before they eventually managed to drag things back and wrap up Lincs’ innings.
Missed opportunities were at the heart of Staffs’ fielding display as they put down a number of catches, including two inside the first couple of overs.
That was hardly the start they would have wanted to their divisional title defence, but they gradually settled into their work during a morning passage of play which was conducive to bowling.
‘Reward’
Lincs openers Nic Keast and Ben Jones had ridden the early storm to put on 41 for the first wicket, but both fell in quick succession.
Keast, who plundered a career best 181 in Lincs’ first-round draw with Cambridgeshire, flashed at an Atkinson delivery and was edged through to keeper Callum Hawkins for 29.
And just one run later, opening partner Jones was joining him back in the pavilion when he was trapped lbw by Atkinson for 12.
Atkinson’s Moddershall & Oulton team-mate Jacob Garlick was then introduced into the attack and he made an immediate impact.
Garlick, bowing with impressive pace, had Ben Wright snapped up at slip by Atkinson before he jagged a delivery back at Tom Keast who was bowled offering no shot.
That left Lincs on 79-4 – and Staffordshire would have been looking for another scalp or two to take into the lunch interval.
As it was, former Leicestershire batsman Sam Evans and all-rounder Jordan Cook dug in and guided the Imp County to 98-4 at the break.
The afternoon session started in fine fashion for the hosts as paceman Liam Hurt yorked Evans to reduce Lincolnshire to 112-5.
‘Vital partnerships’
But Cook, who hit a fine century against Staffordshire at Cleethorpes last summer, linked up with Sylvester to forge a key partnership in the context of the game.
They put on 83 for the sixth wicket, down to a mixture of fine batting and putting away a higher volume of loose deliveries offered up from Staffs’ attack.
Stand-in skipper Hill was searching for an element of control – and a breakthrough – from his bowlers to prevent Lincolnshire from seizing complete control.
They had to wait until the scoreboard showed 195 when Atkinson returned for another spell and won an lbw decision against Sylvester to break the stand.
Cook, though, then set about building another alliance, this time with Alex Moor who went on to make 23.
The pair advanced the total to 242, before Moor’s exit sparked a swift end to Lincs’ innings.
Moor presented Tom Moulton with a steepling catch off Atkinson to perish, before Cook top-edged a shot off spinner Tom Brett to the safe hands of Hill at mid-wicket. Cook hit eight fours and two sixes in his innings.
Josh Knapton fell to the next delivery when he nicked Brett behind to Hawkins, and the innings ended with Atkinson completing his five-star performance by accounting for Mark Footitt.
Staffordshire started their response in the evening session, with Moulton and Matt Morris tasked with seeing off the new-ball threat posed by Footitt.
‘At the double’
They managed to push Staffs to 42-0 before Footitt breached Moulton’s defence to dismiss him for 11.
And the ex-Nottinghamshire seamer make it quickfire double by tempting Staffs debutant Amir Khan to edged to keeper Sylvester for six.
Morris and Reeve Evitts progressed the home side’s total from 50-2 to 94-2 – but it was at that juncture that Lincs pushed their noses in front.
Evitts was adjudged lbw to Wright for 19, while Morris was then unlucky to see his shot off spinner Moor roll back on to his stumps.
And from 96-4, there was a clatter of wickets in the closing embers of the day.
Jack Redman looked disappointed to be given out lbw to Moor for eight, and Callum Hawkins then saw his furniture rearranged by Footitt.
Lincs then struck twice more as Sam Atkinson was bowled by Moor and the same bowler had Liam Hurt caught by Cook at mid-off.
Hill and Tom Brett managed to see Staffordshire through to the close to avert any more danger.
It was certainly a whirlwind start to Staffordshire’s three-day campaign – and all eyes will be on whether they can trim Lincs’ advantage further on day two.
Main image: Sam Atkinson took five wickets for Staffordshire on the opening day against Lincolnshire at Checkley. Picture: David Peters