Fynn Hudson-Prentice struck 99 on his first-class debut for Derbyshire on Day One of the Specsavers County Championship match against Middlesex.
Billy Godleman top-scored with 102, while Luis Reece (96) and Leus du Plooy (50 not out) managed half-centuries alongside Hudson-Prentice.
Tom Helm (2-90) was the pick of the bowlers for Middlesex on what was comfortably a batsmen’s day at The Pattonair County Ground, with Derbyshire set to resume on 372-4 tomorrow.
An uncontested toss meant that Derbyshire were put into bat on Day One, with Billy Godleman and Luis Reece opening the batting for the hosts.
After a watchful opening 45 minutes, the pair brought up their half-century partnership as Reece crashed a short ball from Steven Finn to the rope for four runs, after Godleman had hit Toby Roland-Jones for the first six of the match during the previous over.
The Derbyshire captain accelerated his scoring and reached his fifty in 35 balls, hitting nine fours and one six in little over one hour of play on the opening morning.
The opening pair moved their partnership to three figures before half-past 12 on the first day, taking just 123 balls with Godleman contributing 59 and Reece hitting 41.
Reece reached his own half-century shortly before lunch, taking 92 balls to reach the milestone and hitting nine fours in that time, with Derbyshire 116-0 at the interval.
After lunch, Godleman brought up three figures. The hundred included 16 fours, one six and came in 115 balls, which is the Derbyshire captain’s fastest-ever first-class century.
He only added two more runs to his total before he edged one to John Simpson off Nathan Sowter, to bring the 167-run opening partnership with Reece to a close, with Godleman falling for 102 off 118 deliveries.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice arrived at the crease to make his County Championship debut for Derbyshire, as he and Reece put on 55 runs for the second wicket.
However, Reece was denied his century when he clipped a ball to Roland-Jones off George Scott, falling for a score of 96 with Derbyshire 222-2.
Hudson-Prentice arrived at his first half-century for Derbyshire in 64 balls, including eight fours, while du Plooy scored seven before the sides went in for tea.
The debutant hit his first six of the innings in the 75th over, and in doing so he made the highest score by a Derbyshire player on first-class debut against Middlesex.
The visitors took the new ball after 81 overs, with Roland-Jones the first to use it, but it did not stop the third-wicket pair from scoring, with their partnership passing 100 off 202 balls.
Hudson-Prentice eventually fell on 99, when he was caught by Finn off the bowling of Helm, falling just short of his maiden first-class century. Alex Hughes fell on the last ball of the same over, caught behind for nought.
Anuj Dal (12 not out) saw out the rest of Day One with du Plooy, who reached his maiden first-class half-century for Derbyshire in 146 balls and struck five fours before the close of play. The pair will resume tomorrow on 372-4.
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