Virtual Test: Nasser Hussain XI edge Rob Key side after day one thanks to vital David Gower knock

Nasser Hussain's XI overcame the loss of three wickets in the morning session to end the first day of their Virtual Test Match against Rob Key's XI on 213-4.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, things could not have started in worse fashion for Nasser's former Essex and England team-mate Graham Gooch, as he was trapped lbw to Steve Harmison's third ball of the day - a nip-backer which was shown to have been trimming the top of middle stump.

Hussain, in at No 3, started in circumspect fashion in the face of some accurate bowling from Harmison and Stuart Broad and finally got off the mark to his 17th ball faced with a squirted two down to his favourite area of wide third-man.

Having looked in bright and breezy form at the other end, it was actually Alec Stewart who was the next to go, edging Broad to the bucket-handed Andrew Flintoff at second slip for 15 from 23 balls.

Hussain was then joined by his boyhood hero David Gower, who was soon into his stride outscoring his captain after having faced just 18 deliveries.

Simon Jones' first delivery of the match was beautifully driven to the cover boundary by Gower, but the Glamorgan speedster otherwise troubled the left-hander with his extra pace, passing the outside edge on a number of occasions.

Key's introduction of Andrew Flintoff eventually paid dividends in his fifth over when he put Hussain out of his misery - a miscued drive ending up in the gleeful hands of Kevin Pietersen at backward-point.

It remains to be seen how valuable an innings of 11 it was from the skipper, using up 70 deliveries against the new ball, but he would have hoped for better.

Robin Smith joined his old Hampshire colleague Gower at the crease and soon reminded the fans what they had been missing with a rasping square cut to the boundary off Jones. The pair were unbeaten the afternoon session, adding 76 runs in the process.

An effortless clip of his toes brought Gower a well-received half-century from 125 deliveries and it was a major surprise when Flintoff found his outside edge of his bat six overs into the evening session to send him on his way for 77.

Smith reached a 124-ball half-century himself and he ended the day unbeaten on 77, looking comfortable against the off-spin of Graeme Swann, who will be hoping for more assistance from the pitch as the game progresses. Graham Thorpe will resume on 22.

With the game delicately poised heading into day two, much will depend on the second new ball, which Key will surely take early on the second day.