Palladino trick puts Derbyshire on top

Tony Palladino took a hat-trick and Tim Groenewald claimed a five-wicket haul to put Derbyshire in command on the first day against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

The hosts were dismissed for 177 after Palladino sent them crashing to 7 for 3 with the first hat-trick of his career. Groenewald then picked up the last three wickets for one run in 12 balls to finish with figures of 5 for 29. It added up to an excellent day's work for the Division Two leaders, who reached five without loss in reply before rain brought an early end to proceedings with 20 overs still remaining.

Palladino's hat-trick was the first for Derbyshire since Kevin Dean, now on the county's committee, achieved the feat on the same ground 12 years ago. The 28-year-old seamer, who joined Derbyshire from Essex two years ago, bagged the three wickets in his third over of the morning after Leicestershire won the toss and decided to bat.

He had Michael Thornely lbw with the second ball of the over, snared Ned Eckersley with a lifting delivery edged to wicketkeeper Tom Poynton and then produced a superb yorker that sent Ramnaresh Sarwan's off stump cartwheeling.

It was an uphill battle for Leicestershire after that, and despite a half-century from Matt Boyce and determined knocks from Josh Cobb and Kadeer Ali, Derbyshire remained in control with some disciplined and accurate bowling in helpful conditions.

Cobb was caught behind off Jonathan Clare for 30 just before lunch and, after reaching his 50, Boyce became Groenewald's first victim when he somehow looped a full toss to mid-off. Kadeer and Nathan Buck offered some resistance with a stubborn eighth-wicket partnership of 58, before Groenewald returned to the attack to finish things off.

Buck edged to first slip for 13, Kadeer was caught behind for 48 and Nadeem Malik was taken at slip. Clare also bowled well, taking 2 for 18 in 12 overs, while left-arm spinner David Wainwright conceded only 38 runs in 22 overs - 10 of them coming off two balls that Kadeer hit for four and six.