Jack Shantry may take some shifting from the top of the first-class bowling averages after starting the season with figures of 18-10-18-5 at The Parks in Oxford.
The unorthodox Worcestershire left-armer, who played a key role in their promotion-winning 2014 season with 56 wickets at less than 24 apiece, capitalised on helpful spring conditions to expose a fragile Oxford MCCU lower order, as the students slumped from 100 for three to 124 all out.
Daryl Mitchell, who had won the toss and chosen to field on a cool, cloudy morning, then made an unbeaten 51 as the county professionals replied with 155 for two in 31 overs.
Richard Oliver thumped 42 from 30 balls in an opening stand of 65 inside nine overs with Mitchell until he was bowled by Sam Weller, the Oxford captain who is on the staff at Kent and recovered impressively after a loose opening over.
Tom Fell, one of two former Oxford students now playing for Worcestershire, joined Mitchell to add 86 for the second wicket, and will resume tomorrow with county debutant Alex Gidman.
The English season is under way! Get the latest first-class scores here: http://t.co/2wR1EkZzOxpic.twitter.com/ZGSgPHFVMO
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 2, 2015
Charlie Morris, the other Oxford Brookes old boy to have graduated to county cricket at New Road, had taken the first two wickets of the day, although he was then frustrated by Lloyd Paternott, a 23-year-old who made a good impression with Northamptonshire seconds last summer – and used to share a flat with Morris.
But after grafting to 40 from 123 balls, Paternott was undone by a lack of concentration and a sharp piece of thinking by Worcestershire’s wicketkeeper Ben Cox, who spotted him out of his crease and stumped him off Shantry.
Cox had also taken an acrobatic one-handed catch to dismiss Harry Hughes off Morris, and Fell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore each pouched a blinder in the slips.
Elsewhere on the first day of the domestic season, Michael Carberry and James Vince each hit a rapid century for Hampshire against Loughborough MCCU at the Ageas Bowl.
Carberry made 146 from 132 balls and Vince 140 from 119 as Hampshire piled up 474 for four in 81 overs.
MATCH PIC: The first Hampshire century of the season goes to @carbs646. Hopefully the first of many! pic.twitter.com/sYII6kJWt4
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) April 2, 2015
Northamptonshire and Sussex were made to work harder for their runs by the students of Cambridge and Leeds/Bradford respectively.
Northants were reduced to 71 for four, with Adil Arif taking two of the wickets, before recovering to declare on 357 for seven thanks to 94 from Rob Newton and an unbeaten 94-ball century from Ben Duckett.
Sussex took 75 overs to compile 283 for six, with half-centuries for Mike Yardy, Ed Joyce and Craig Cachopa, and two wickets apiece for the unlikely-sounding Harrovian Doug Pratt and George Scott, a 19-year-old who was selected for Middlesex’s pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi.
The first day of Glamorgan’s derby against the students of Cardiff was washed out and only 11 overs were possible at Taunton Vale where Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick opened his 23rd season with an unbeaten 21 against Durham MCCU.