County Championship D1, Old Trafford, day one: Lancashire 127-1 v Essex 215

With the break in overs, we didn't realise it was a hat-trick ball James Anderson

James Anderson claimed his first hat-trick in first-class cricket as Lancashire bowled Essex out for 215 at Old Trafford.

And the hosts were well on top by the end of the opening day, having reached 127-1 by stumps with Iain Sutcliffe 50 not out.

Anderson, who is expected to make his Test debut against Zimbabwe next week, dismissed England Test captain Nasser Hussain for a first-ball duck as the middle man in the early haul.

The achievement was the first at Old Trafford since Dominic Cork ousted three West Indies batsmen in three balls for England eight years ago.

And it was the first for Lancashire since current coach Mike Watkinson ran through Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1992.

Hussain was pinned with an inswinging yorker to be lbw, having come to the crease following the departure of Darren Robinson to a catch at gully.

"I had heard two batters saying they were struggling to see it, so I thought I might stick one in his block-hole straightaway," said Anderson.

Will Jefferson then obliged to the first ball of Anderson's next over when he edged behind off a ball pitched just under the length.

The 20-year-old, who became Lancashire's youngest hat-trick taker, finished with figures of 4-67 when he had Graham Napier caught at mid-off for 40.

Veteran Peter Martin was barely to be out-done, dismissing Paul Grayson and Ronnie Irani with consecutive deliveries.

And Carl Hooper took two wickets with his off-spin, including top-scorer James Foster, who holed out to long-on for 57.

The former West Indies captain made his debut for the Red Rose county after gaining special dispensation to replace injured Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Lancashire enjoyed a 44-run opening stand before Essex could make their single breakthrough of the day, Irani having Alec Swann lbw.

But Sutcliffe's patient innings yielded his second half-century for his new county after his off-season signing from Leicestershire.

Teams:

Lancashire: A J Swann, I J Sutcliffe, M B Loye, S G Law M J Chilton, C L Hooper, G Chapple, W K Hegg (Capt, Wkt), P J Martin J M Anderson, G Keedy.

Essex: D D J Robinson, W I Jefferson, R C Irani (Capt), N Hussain A P Grayson, J S Foster (Wkt), A Flower, G R Napier, J D Middlebrook S A Brant, J B Grant.