Chesney Hughes confirms rich promise

Gloucestershire 242 and 47 for 1 v Derbyshire 345
Scorecard

Chesney Hughes continued his impressive entry into first-class cricket with a maiden century to put Derbyshire in control against Gloucestershire in the County Championship Division Two match at Derby. The 19-year-old Anguillan reached three figures in only his fifth Championship innings and shared a stand of 134 with skipper Chris Rogers who scored his fourth hundred of the season.

Hughes was ninth out for 118 and, despite Vikram Banerjee's 4 for 62, Derbyshire's last two wickets added 72 to take the home side to 345, a lead of 103. Gloucestershire reduced the arrears by 47 before the close but they lost Steve Snell, who was bowled by Greg Smith for 21.

The game had been finely balanced at the start of the second day with Derbyshire 171 runs behind, but Rogers and Hughes batted through most of the morning. Gloucestershire switched their bowlers around in a search of a breakthrough but the closest they came was when Hughes mistimed a pull on 46 only for Jon Lewis to react slowly at mid-on.

Rogers has been in prime form and he reached his century by sweeping Banerjee for his 18th four. He had moved smoothly through the gears to complete his second fifty off 60 balls and it was a surprise when he edged a drive at Gemaal Hussain on 115.

But Gloucestershire's elation at seeing Rogers return to the pavilion with the home team still trailing by 56 evaporated as Hughes played with sound judgement to earn Derbyshire a decent lead. Banerjee worked his way through the lower order, having Dan Redfern caught behind pushing forward and Robin Peterson bowled aiming a drive but Tom Poynton and Tim Groenewald gave Hughes valuable support.

Poynton stayed for 20 overs to add 44 for the seventh wicket before he was smartly caught off pad and glove by Jonathan Batty, who later had to hand over the wicketkeeping gloves to Snell when he dislocated the little finger on his right hand. Hughes celebrated a richly-deserved hundred when he drove Hamish Marshall past mid-off for his 14th four and he lifted Banerjee down the ground for six as Derbyshire extended their lead after tea.

It took a slice of good fortune to dismiss Hughes who was cruelly run out when Lewis deflected a firm drive by Groenewald onto the stumps, but his disciplined innings, which had spanned nearly five and a half hours, had put his team into a healthy position. There was more frustration to come for the visitors as Groenewald and debutant Atif Sheikh shared a last-wicket stand of 29 which took Derbyshire's lead past three figures.

Gloucestershire were left with 10 overs to negotiate and they lost Snell when he edged Smith into his stumps, leaving the visitors trailing by 56 runs with two days remaining.