Returning to the ground where they won the County Championship in joyous fashion last September, Yorkshire’s cricketers were made to suffer by Nottinghamshire’s batsmen on the opening day of their division one game at Trent Bridge.

Torturer-in-chief was Alex Hales, who made a career-best 222 not out as the home side piled up 393-7 in three sessions which left Andrew Gale’s bowlers regretting a failure to make the most of their opportunities with the new ball in the morning’s cloudy conditions after their captain had opted to bowl first.

Hales’ third-wicket partnership of 171 in 35 overs with James Taylor was the centre-piece of the day’s cricket and it almost completely overshadowed a good County Championship debut from 17-year-old seamer Sheriff Hutton Bridge bowler Matthew Fisher.

He took a first wicket with his seventh ball at this level when he had Nottinghamshire opener Brendan Taylor caught at slip by Alex Lees for 27.

That was one of only two wickets Yorkshire claimed in the morning session. The other was that of Steven Mullaney, who was lbw to Steve Patterson, also for 27 in the 12th over of the match.

The remainder of the first session saw Hales and Taylor establish themselves on the Trent Bridge pitch before unveiling their full range of strokes in the afternoon, when none of Yorkshire’s six seamers escaped punishment.

Eventually Jack Brooks made the breakthrough his side needed when he had Taylor lbw for 59 with a ball which nipped back off the seam and the former Northants bowler enjoyed further success three balls later when Samit Patel could only edge a lifting delivery to Lees.

Undaunted, Hales ground on as if determined to press his own claims for England selection.

He added 72 for the fifth wicket with Riki Wessels before the Notts number six edged Stamford Bridge all-rounder Will Rhodes to York’s Jack Leaning at slip and he put on 20 with skipper Read, who was lbw to Tim Bresnan with the new ball for only seven.

Having reached his century off 131 balls, Hales reached his double hundred off only another 103 deliveries with 33 fours and a six.

The most impressive bowler was Patterson, whose accuracy might have earned him rather more than his two successes.

Indeed, it was Patterson who took the final wicket to fall when he induced Will Gidman to edge the first ball of the day’s final over and the Beverley bowler trooped off with 2-58 from 22.1 overs against his name.