Gary Wilson top scored with a well-made 72 as Derbyshire posted 219-6 on the opening day of the new season against Northamptonshire.
Wilson hit 10 fours as he hit the 23rd highest score by a player on debut for Derbyshire. Billy Godleman scored 33, while Shiv Thakor added 22 on an even first day at The 3aaa County Ground.
“It was important that we fought hard and I think it was a pretty even day, “ Wilson said. “It will be an important first hour in the morning and if we can battle on and get as close to 300 as possible, I think we’ll be in a good position.
“When I came to the wicket they had just gone ‘bang, bang’ so we had two new batters at the crease but we knew that if we absorbed some pressure and could counter a little bit we would be in a good position if we managed to come through that.”
After an uncontested toss, Derbyshire openers Luis Reece (19) and Godleman (33) shared a 62-run partnership, batting for the first 90 minutes in tricky conditions.
Just before lunch, Reece, making his debut, was dismissed by pace bowler Ben Sanderson (2-37) after edging a lifting delivery to Rory Kleinveldt at fourth slip.
Sanderson then had Godleman lbw for 33 in the penultimate over of the morning, claiming two wickets in four overs to leave Derbyshire 80-2 at lunch.
Shortly after the break, two quickfire wickets saw Wayne Madsen (12) and Thakor (22) dismissed, with Kleinveldt (1-37) and Nathan Buck (3-54) claiming one wicket apiece, with Derbyshire 114-4.
Vice Captain Wilson led the response reaching his half-century to become the 51st batsman to hit a fifty on first-class debut for Derbyshire, before being bowled lbw by Buck shortly before the close.
Wilson and Daryn Smit (19), also on debut, batted patiently to add 92 runs together, before Smit edged Buck’s delivery to Alex Wakely at second slip. Buck ended the day with figures of 3-54.
Rain, however, forced the players off midway through the evening session after 71 overs were bowled, and an early stumps was called. Derbyshire will being Day Two on 219-6, with Alex Hughes (1*) and Jeevan Mendis (0*) the not out batsmen.
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