Anderson scare as Lancs excel

England seamer James Anderson endured an injury scare on his return to the LV= County Championship for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire.

Lancashire paceman Anderson was taken to hospital for X-rays after sustaining two blows to his right thumb in the morning session, but got away with bruising instead of the feared fracture and was able to bowl again in the afternoon.

He spent two further periods off the field as the game progressed, however, receiving ice treatment and applying strapping to the affected hand at the start of the evening's play.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire duo Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, also making their first appearances of the season, both reacted less than magnanimously after being given out to Simon Kerrigan.

Broad, fit again after a calf injury, contested a bat-pad catch by Steven Croft after he was dismissed for a golden duck, while Swann lingered at the crease after being given lbw, suggesting he had the hit the ball.

A fourth England international, Samit Patel, had a more satisfactory day - pushing his case for the first Test against the West Indies on May 17 with 69 in Nottinghamshire's 169 all out.

The hosts lost Paul Horton for 24 in the last over before stumps as they reached 48 for one.

Lancashire, playing a championship fixture at under-construction Old Trafford for the first time since September 2010, started strongly after being asked to field first by visiting skipper Chris Read.

Anderson was miserly from the off, bowling 10 overs on the bounce at a cost of only eight runs, but it was veteran skipper Glen Chapple who did the real damage.

He removed openers Neil Edwards and Alex Hales and then added the scalp of Michael Lumb to leave Nottinghamshire 16 for three.

The latter wicket saw Anderson take his first blow, parrying a catch to Ashwell Prince, who took the rebound. The second came as he fielded a James Taylor drive off his own bowling.

He finished his spell in no apparent discomfort but left the field immediately afterwards and headed for his X-ray.

Patel was showing impressive application to hold down his end but lost more partners after lunch, Taylor (15) giving Chapple a fourth success and Read (14) bowled by Luke Procter.

Kerrigan then took two in two balls just before tea, Paul Franks and Broad both caught at short-leg by Croft.

Broad initially refused to walk and after being given he went down the track to converse with Croft and umpire Stephen Gale.

Swann cut the hat-trick ball for four but was given lbw to Kerrigan in the first over back. Once again, Gale was left in little doubt about the batsman's feelings about the decision as Swann eventually trudged off having looked tellingly at his bat.

Patel's half-century came off 149 balls but he fell just after hitting the first six of the match, with Kerrigan also having last man Andre Adams stumped to match Chapple's four-wicket haul.

Anderson, meanwhile, closed with figures of nought for 23 off 17 fine overs.

Nottinghamshire had 15 overs to try and get back into the game and while Broad and Swann both failed to make the breakthrough Adams pinned Horton lbw just before the close.