Debutants strike on Day One

Nottinghamshire first innings: 324: Hameed (68), Cohen (3-47).
Derbyshire first innings: 9-0: Godleman (9*), Reece (0*). 

Debut wickets from Michael Cohen (3-47) and Ben Aitchison (1-57) helped Derbyshire fight back after a difficult first session on the opening day of the 2020 season against Nottinghamshire. 

The pair were making their first-class debuts for the county, but they were made to wait for their first wickets as Nottinghamshire’s opening pair of Haseeb Hameed (68) and Chris Nash (59) put on 111 for the first wicket.

109 of those runs came before lunch, but Cohen, Aitchison, Sam Conners, Luis Reece and Fynn Hudson-Prentice shared seven wickets in the afternoon session to lead the fight back, before a 70-ball 63 from Samit Patel kept the match on a knifedge , as Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 324.

Billy Godleman (9 not out) and Reece (0 not out) will resume tomorrow, with Derbyshire 9-0 and trailing by 315.

After winning the first toss of the season, Godleman elected to bowl, but the opening partnership of Nash and Hameed frustrated the Derbyshire attack, with the latter cracking six fours and one six to reach his half-century before lunch.

However, Conners came out after the interval and set the wheels in motion for a resurgence, as he trapped Nash lbw in the first over of the session, while Aitchison claimed his maiden first-class wicket when he had Ben Duckett (9) caught by du Plooy.

Michael Cohen entered the attack and quickly made an impression with his pace, before he had Joe Clarke (8) caught behind by Harvey Hosein, reducing Nottinghamshire to 147-3.

Cohen and Reece were then at the centre of the action when they shared three wickets in the space of two overs, with the latter first claiming the crucial wicket of Hameed, before dismissing Steven Mullaney (6).

Cohen completed the trifecta when he had a debuting Peter Trego caught behind for just one run, while Fynn Hudson-Prentice got in on the act before tea when Tom Moores (15) feathered one through to Hosein.

Patel set about turning the tide after the interval, and he arrived at his half-century in just 59 balls, eight of which were boundaries, before edging to Wayne Madsen as Cohen took his third wicket.

Mattie McKiernan (2-3) also continued the trend of ‘firsts’ , when he got his first Derbyshire wicket, having Joey Evison (38) caught by Godleman, and bringing Jake Ball’s (34) powerful innings to a close, as Nottinghamshire closed on 324.

Godleman and Reece saw out the final seven overs, as Derbyshire closed out the opening day on 9-0, trailing by 315.

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