Rehan, Hill, Handscomb turn the tables for Leicestershire

Leicestershire displayed the quality and character of promotion contenders to stage an impressive fightback on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship match against rivals Derbyshire at the Central Co-op County Ground.

The Division Two leaders recovered from 0 for 2 to close on 357 for 3 with England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill scoring centuries.

Ahmed's 115 was his third consecutive hundred in the championship and his fourth of the season while Hill and skipper Peter Handscomb celebrated personal milestones.

Hill marked his 100th first-class appearance with an unbeaten 132 and shared an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 188 with Handscomb who was not out 99 in his 200th red-ball game.

Hill also added 169 with Ahmed which turned the tide after Luis Reece and Blair Tickner made such an encouraging start for the hosts before Leicestershire took control.

The pitch had been used for three T20 matches which would have influenced Leicestershire's decision to bat but that looked questionable when both openers were dismissed in the space of six balls.

Cloud cover hinted at assistance for the seam bowlers and Reece found enough away movement with the third ball of the day to have Rishi Patel caught behind.

When Tickner straightened his second ball to bowl Sol Budinger, the morning was threatening to go badly wrong for the leaders but Ahmed and Hill counter-attacked to dominate the rest of the session.

Ahmed scored his maiden century at Derby three seasons ago and he quickly imposed himself on the bowlers to relieve the pressure.

When Derbyshire turned to spin in the 15th over, he came down the pitch to dispatch Jack Morley for six before reaching his 50 from 54 balls in the next over.

Hill's role was less eyecatching but just as valuable and by lunch the pair had transformed Leicestershire's fortunes at 118 for 2.

Ahmed quickly closed in on his hundred, reverse sweeping Alex Thomson for his 13th four to move to 99 and then squeezing a single past gully to reach three figures from 118 balls.

Hill completed his 50 before Ahmed whipped Zak Chappell in the air to deep mid-wicket where Caleb Jewell took a fine catch on the run.

The rest of the afternoon belonged to Hill and Handscomb who accumulated steadily against bowling that lacked the consistency to put them under pressure.

The pattern was repeated after tea with Handscomb reaching 50 off 84 balls three overs before Hill raised his bat to celebrate the 9th first-class hundred of his career which had come from 194 balls.

Not surprisingly, Derbyshire claimed the second new ball as soon as it became available but although Reece beat the bat several times, could not make the breakthrough as Hill and Handscomb put their side in a commanding position.