Hampshire (23-1) are 247 behind Notts (270)

James Tomlinson claimed his first five-wicket haul for two years as Hampshire enjoyed the better of the first day of their match against LV= County Championship leaders Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

The left-arm seamer took 5 for 66 as Notts were bowled out for 270 – after Nic Pothas maintained his record of winning every toss in the Championship this year.

It was a good one to win as a veritable green top was prepared for a Notts team that has won every Championship game it has played this year (home victories against Kent, Somerset and Durham as well as their five-wicket success at the Rose Bowl a fortnight ago).

Notts are without leading scorer Hashim Amla, who is now with his South Africa teammates in the Caribbean, and Rose Bowl centurion Mark Wagh, who has a law exam.

But to limit the Championship’s pace setters to a couple of batting points still represents one of Hampshire’s best days of the season.

Tomlinson and Dominic Cork capitalised with the new ball in swing-friendly conditions to reduce Notts to 29 for 4 inside the first 13 overs.

Cork had Neil Edwards (4) caught behind in his second over and Alex Hales (0) soon followed, lbw to a Tomlinson inswinger.

Samit Patel, Notts' Clydesdale Bank 40 matchwinner against the Royals the previous day, edged Cork behind for 11.

But after Bilal Shafayat (14) nicked Tomlinson to first-slip Jimmy Adams, Ally Brown put on 78 in 16 overs with Steven Mullaney to frustrate Hampshire for the second time this month.

Brown was lbw to Sean Ervine in the penultimate over before lunch for a 46-ball 42 that included a six over mid-wicket.

But Mullaney threatened to score his second hundred in as many innings against Hampshire, having made a maiden Championship ton on his Notts debut at the Rose Bowl.

Promoted to number five in the absence of Amla and Wagh, he hit 14 fours and pulled David Balcombe for six in his 97 (182 balls).

But, once again, his innings was not chanceless. He survived on 50 when Jimmy Adams put one down to his right at first slip.

Balcombe, who is playing his first game of the season ahead of the rested David Griffiths and the injured Kabir Ali, was the unfortunate bowler. But he got his man with some extra bounce in the seventh after tea, when Mullaney top edged an attempted cut.

That ended his seventh-wicket stand of 79 in 27.2 overs with Paul Franks, a partnership that began when Tomlinson saw off Notts captain Read with a ball that flew through to Pothas.

Franks did not get the same support from the Notts lower order before finishing unbeaten on 57.

Andre Adams teed off immediately and was caught by Rangana Herath at mid-off while attempting to launch David Balcombe out of Trent Bridge.

Franks was twice dropped in the deep, by Benham on 28 and Herath on 35, before Tomlinson returned to dismiss Darren Pattinson and Charlie Shreck with successive deliveries from the Pavilion End.

Following his seventh first-class five-wicket haul, Tomlinson did a sound job as nightwatchman, helping Hampshire to 23 for 1 at stumps after Liam Dawson chased a wide ball from Pattinson.

Hampshire bowling: Tomlinson 25-7-66-5, Cork 13-2-43-2, Balcombe 17-1-92-2, Ervine 15-4-47-1, Herath 15-5-19-0