Alex Loudon scored a superb 123 to enhance his reputation as a potential England all-rounder but could not prevent Nottinghamshire winning by 142 runs in the traditional curtain-raiser to the season.

Warwickshire's 25-year-old off-spinner earned his surprise call-up for England's tour of Pakistan because of his potential to become a spinner who could also score useful runs.

He did not have much opportunity to impress in Pakistan, playing the solitary warm-up match and bowling only four competitive overs, and peaked with 94 and four wickets in the only warm-up match of the A tour to West Indies. He was one of the few batsmen to defy the champions as MCC were dismissed for 352.

Resuming on one overnight with his team 24 for one, Loudon played a disciplined innings, striking 19 fours and a six during his four and a half hours at the crease while his partners fell at regular intervals.

He was happy to play a supportive role early on while England opener Alastair Cook progressed to his half-century, hitting Ryan Sidebottom through mid-wicket for his 11th boundary to bring up the milestone. But two balls later Cook attempted the same shot and was given out leg-before playing across the line.

Ed Joyce, after a first innings failure, chased a widish delivery and was caught behind off the very next delivery.

Loudon, though, found a willing ally in Rikki Clarke and the pair frustrated Nottinghamshire for 15 overs, adding 61.

Clarke had greeted offspinner Graeme Swann by hammering back over his head for six. But his demise came when a ball turned sharply out of the footmarks and crashed into his stumps. Warwickshire's Luke Parker and Worcestershire's Steve Davies fell in quick succession to leave Loudon as the only resistance.

His only previous first-class century had been three years earlier in a match of much lower profile, 172 for Durham University against Durham in a pre-season match.

Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan, whose best innings previously had been 74 against Somerset at Headingley last season, kept Loudon company for 24 overs in a 111-run stand which ended when Loudon attempted to force Paul Franks off the back foot and provided Chris Read with a catch behind.

Bresnan used Loudon's dismissal as a stage to enjoy himself. The dismissal of John Stephenson two balls later, bowled by Franks, was even more of a spur to Bresnan who hit Swann for six, four, two and four off successive balls.

Monty Panesar was brilliantly caught by Swann at third slip off Greg Smith, leaving him six runs to score his first first-class century. He tried to farm the strike away from Mark Footitt but in an attempt to reach three figures he holed out off part-time seamer Dave Hussey to clinch Nottinghamshire's triumph.