Tea Report: Nottinghamshire 95-3 (24 overs) v Lancashire 113

Given that the completion of 96 overs in what is supposed to constitute a day's play seems to be beyond most cricketers, the idea floated today that Championship matches might be played over three days instead of four with 120 overs bowled each day seems absurd.

This is the "informal proposal" - as The Times put it - put forward by Lancashire chairman Jack Simmons as a way to make space in the domestic calendar for an Indian Premier League-style Twenty20. By my calculations, unless there is a seismic shift in the speed at which players habitually get through their work, a 120-over day would require play to start at 10.30am and go on until 7.30pm or beyond.

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And that's without the kind of hold-ups that have frustrated spectators here today. Play had to be halted at one point, for example, when a crane in front of the new (and very impressive) electronic scoreboard had to be lowered. On another occasion, the players were left to talk among themselves while spectators helped search for a ball lost underneath the covers at the Radcliffe Road end.

One delay Lancashire could have done without for another reason was brought about when Notts asked for the ball to be changed four deliveries into the afternoon session. Having recovered from a shaky start to be 99-4 when the battered state of the original ball was brought to the attention of the umpires, they fared so badly with the chosen replacement they were all out for 113.

Darren Pattinson, the Grimsby-born Aussie fast bowler Nottinghamshire signed as cover for Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, was the chief destroyer, finishing with six for 30 to go with his debut match figures of 8-87 against Kent last month, attributing his success to movement off the pitch before lunch, with the ball swinging a little more later. Lancashire captain Stuart Law's 55, with 12 fours, was his side's one innings of substance.

Notts have not been trouble free, but some nice strokes from Samit Patel have helped them recover from 43-3 to be only 18 runs behind going into the final session.

Lancashire, deprived of four bowlers through injury, are also having to manage with Mohammad Yousuf, their Pakistan overseas star, who has been left out because of "a technical problem" over his visa, yet to be fully explained.