Sixteen wickets tumble on day one at Derby

Over two inches of rain fell over Derby yesterday afternoon as a band of heavy thunderstorms triggered a phase of torrential downpours. Indeed, the access road leading to the Glamorgan hotel to the north of the city was partially flooded, and even this morning parts of the outfield at the county ground were still damp after yesterday's deluge. With a green-tinged surface and a heavy cloud cover, it was no surprise that Derbyshire captain, Wayne Madsen opted to bowl first in the humid conditions after winning the toss.

Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg opened the batting with the latter swiftly into his stride as he moved closer to the 1,000-run mark with a couple of confidently struck leg-side strokes in Mark Footitt's opening over. His new ball partner Tony Palladino then struck with his third delivery as he appeared to find the inside edge of Rudolph's bat with wicket-keeper Gareth Cross taking the ball down the leg-side.

6/1 saw Murray Goodwin join Bragg and the pair watchfully negotiated six successive maidens before Palladino struck again in his fifth over as he trapped Bragg leg before. Without further addition, Alex Hughes at third slip dropped an edge from Goodwin's bat as he played forward to Footitt.

Ben Wright duly announced his arrival with a firm push into the covers for one as Palladino conceded his first run with his 32^nd delivery, but a leg-bye then followed before the bowler responded next delivery by finding the edge of Wright's bat, with Wes Durston at second slip safely taking the waist-high catch with Derbyshire claiming their first bonus point after fifty minutes play with Glamorgan on 13/3.

Whilst Tom Taylor replace Footitt at the City End, Palladino continued his probing spell but Chris Cooke after some fluent drives into the covers struck the days first boundary after seventy minutes playas he drilled Palladino to mid-off, Goodwin also found the ropes at backward point as he cut a short ball from Alex Hughes. But with the total on 33, Hughes struck Cooke on the pads and the umpire upheld the l.b.w. appeal.

Jim Allenby came in and cover drove Hughes for four, before getting a thick outside edge which flew away to the vacant third man position. Next over, he square drove Hughes again for four but he then edged Taylor into Cross' gloves as Glamorgan lost their fifth wicket on 50.

Glamorgan resumed after lunch on 50/5 with the new ball pairing of Mark Footitt and Tony Palladino returning to the attack as Mark Wallace and Murray Goodwin looked to launch a recovery mission. Wallace was soon into his stride, striking a no-ball from Footitt for four to square-leg, whilst Goodwin after his watchful reconnaissance before the interval crisply off-drove Footitt . Shortly afterwards, Goodwin had a second life as Wayne Madsen at first slip dropped a low catch as the veteran batsman, on 20, edged Palladino.

Wallace then greeted the return to the fray of Tom Taylor as he furiously cut a short ball for four, whilst Goodwin twice sweetly off-drove Alex Hughes to the ropes when he re-appeared at the Racecourse End. As more blue sky appeared with the cloud cover starting to dissipate, the hundred duly came up, as well as the fifty stand, as Wallace pulled Taylor over the head of the substitute fielder at long-leg for four.

Goodwin then cut Hughes for another four through backward point but next ball, with the total on 114, he edged a ball into Cross' gloves as Hughes ended the sixth wicket stand which had added 64 in twenty overs. His departure saw James Harris arrive in the middle and he nearly lost his captain to the next delivery as Wallace edged Footitt through the slip cordon. Later in the over, Wallace drove the left-armer through mid-off for four, before Harris did the same, albeit for two, to his first delivery from Hughes before nurdling the seamer for four to third man.

Two overs later, Footitt ended Wallace's stubborn innings as the Glamorgan captain edged to third slip with Dean Cosker arriving in the middle with his side on 130/7. This was the first of four wickets to tumble for eight runs in the space of 31 balls as shortly afterwards Harris edged Hughes to first slip before Footitt bowled Will Owen. Hughes then ended Glamorgan's innings with their total on 138 as he had Dean Cosker caught by Billy Godleman at third slip.

After the swing and seam of the home bowlers had removed Glamorgan for 138, there were 42 overs remaining when Derbyshire began their first innings shortly before 4pm with James Harris and Michael Hogan sharing the new ball. The latter, whose tally of 107 wickets in the past two seasons is only bettered by Sussex's Steve Magoffin, was soon causing problems for the home batsmen as he beat the outside edge of Billy Godleman's bat with his third and tenth deliveries, whilst James Harris did the same in his second over.

Ben Slater struck the first boundary as he cover drove Harris before Godleman crisply cut Hogan for four. A brace of two's then followed before Harris found the edge of Godleman's bat and Mark Wallace completed a regulation catch with the home side on 23/1. Hogan then switched to the City End and was sweetly on-driven for four by Wayne Madsen. Slater also deftly leg-glanced before Madsen drove both Hogan and Jim Allenby through the off-side. But with the total on 48, Allenby trapped Madsen l.b.w.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul then joined Slater who struck successive fours against Hogan to mid-wicket and third man, before Will Owen entered the attack in the 19^th over and with his third delivery claimed the important wicket of the vastly experienced West Indian as Chanderpaul departed l.b.w. with the total on 63. Wes Durston then swatted Owen through backward point for four before Slater leg-glanced Allenby for another boundary.

Durston then pulled Owen for four and six before swatting Harris through backward point for successive fours when he switched to the Racecourse End. Will Bragg also nearly caught the Derbyshire man when he unleashed another expansive drive later in Harris' over before he greeted Dean Cosker's spin by driving the left-armer straight for four before pulling him to mid-wicket in his second over en route to a swashbuckling fifty from as many balls. But shortly afterwards, Harris ended Durston's run spree as, with his side on 126, he edged to Jacques Rudolph at second slip.

Slater, who had almost been a sleeping partner during Durston's assault on the visiting attack, was then joined by Alex Hughes as Hogan returned for a late salvo at the City End. He immediately found the inside edge of Slater's bat but the ball didn't quite carry into Wallace's gloves.

The young opener also survived a loud appeal for l.b.w. in Harris' next over but in the following over he edged Hogan into Wallace's gloves. 136/5 immediately became 136/6 as next ball night-watchman Tom Taylor lost his middle stump. Gareth Cross survived the hat-trick ball before helping Hughes to play out the remaining four overs as an action-packed day ended with Derbyshire having secured a slender lead.