Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
LV=County Championship Division Two
Day One. Aty Derby.
By Richard Latham
Atif Sheikh enjoyed an eventful Derbyshire debut on a strange opening day which ended with both sides well in the game,
The 19-year-old left-arm seamer took 3-78 to help bowl out Gloucestershire for 242 after Alex Gidman had won the toss.
But Sheikh also sent down an alarming 14 no-balls and a wide, allowing the visitors to race to 48 off the first five overs before Steve Snell, promoted to opener, was dismissed for nine.
By the close Derbyshire had replied to Gloucestershire's total with 71-3, Chris Rogers making 49 not out at the top of the order and Gemaal Hussain taking two of the wickets.
Sheikh struck first when Snell was caught in the slips by Chesney Hughes and when the pacey youngster had Chris Dent caught behind for a duck in his next over in was 56-2.
But the scoreboard had been rattling along as 36 extras were conceded in the first ten overs. By the end of the innings that figure had more than doubled to an embarrassing 76.
After the two breakthroughs Jonathan Batty steadied the Gloucestershire innings against tight bowling from Greg Smith, Tim Groenewald and Robin Peterson.
Smith picked up the wicket of Hamish Marshall with the score on 92 as the New Zealander was caught behind down the leg-side after toiling for 31 balls for his five runs.
Batty reached his half-century off 92 deliveries, with seven fours, before Hughes pouched two more slip catches in quick succession, removing the opener for 61 off Tom Lungley and then accounting for Alex Gidman off Sheikh after the visiting captain had made 37, with 5 fours.
Lungley produced the ball of the day to clean bowl Abdul-Kadeer Ali for five with the score on 192 before Hughes took his fourth catch to remove Jon Lewis for 14, giving Groenewald a deserved wicket.
James Franklin made 29 before falling lbw to Smith four balls after tea and Robin Peterson cleaned up the tail as Hussain holed out to mid-on and Steve Kirby was leg before for a duck.
Lewis trapped Wayne Madsen lbw for a first ball duck when Derbyshire began their reply. Then Garry Park and Smith were quickly dislodged by Hussain, the former leg before and the latter caught by Dent, leaving Derbyshire 50-3.
Rogers played with his usual fluency, however, reaching 49 off 73 balls by the close, while Hughes ended a fascinating day eight not out.
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