Ashwell Prince rescues Lancashire after Adams picks up four wickets

If the strength of a side can be measured by those who cannot get into it, South Africa's batting is going to prove a serious test for England's much-vaunted bowling attack when the countries meet later this summer. Ashwell Prince's form, and his familiarity with English conditions, make it hard to believe the 35-year-old will not be a member of his country's touring party, but although he remains centrally contracted, such appears likely to be the case. When Prince heads home after this game – his contract does not include T20 – it will be for a mid-season break rather to prepare for an international tour, and Lancashire will be the beneficiaries when he returns next month. As has regularly been the case this season, the South African carried the county's batting, scoring his seventh championship half-century and guiding them past 200 with power to add on a day when they might otherwise have been skittled for 150. The amount of grass left on the wicket made it a good toss to win, and the early loss of Paul Horton, pushing forward and edging Andy Carter to Adam Voges at second slip, suggested the Nottinghamshire captain, Chris Read, had been right to bowl first. Had Voges held on to a head-high chance when Stephen Moore flashed at an Andre Adams delivery soon afterwards, Lancashire would have been really up against it, but with Adams inclined to over-pitch in his early overs both Moore and Karl Brown took advantage. Brown in particular scored quickly, and had driven and clipped Adams for three consecutive fours when the next delivery, slightly shorter, found the edge and was brilliantly caught, one-handed low to his right, by Samit Patel at third slip. With Ben Phillips unavailable due to injury, the tall Carter promising but still raw, and the left-armer Harry Gurney struggling for rhythm and penetration since his move from Leicestershire, Notts' dependence on Adams is considerable, but once again the leading wicket-taker in the championship did not let them down. Moore was his next victim, attempting to leave a delivery that bounced more than he expected and which hit the underside of his bat and cannoned into middle stump. Steven Croft was fortunate to get to 29, three times edging Adams inches short of the slips, but he was beginning to look comfortable when he misjudged the length of a Carter delivery that struck his gloves and looped high to Read behind the stumps. When Luke Procter's tentative drive at Adams gave Patel another catch Lancashire were 151 for five but Prince remained unperturbed, accumulating steadily, turning the ball unfussily off his legs and driving through the offside off his back foot. He had reached 50, off 107 balls, when Adams finally found an edge, only to turn away in disgust when Alex Hales, at first slip, made a horrible mess of the shin-high chance. The New Zealander did pick up one more victim, though. With rain threatening he somehow persuaded Gareth Cross to hook a rare short ball high towards deep square leg where James Taylor, running to his right, made no mistake. Cross was furious with himself, the more so when the rain started to fall as he left the field and preventing any further play.