Gloucestershire benefit from 76 extras

Gloucestershire 242 v Derbyshire 71 for 3
Scorecard

Gloucestershire's batsmen got a little extra help from Derbyshire's bowlers but still failed to pass 250 on the opening day of their County Championship Division Two match at Derby.

The home side conceded an astonishing 76 extras, including 17 no balls, which was five short of the club's record and the top score in Gloucestershire's 242. Teenage pace bowler Atif Sheikh bowled 14 of them which marred his figures of 3 for 78 on his first-class debut.

Jonathan Batty made his first championship fifty for the visitors but his dismissal for 61 sparked a collapse which saw Gloucestershire lose their last seven wickets for 73. Gemaal Hussain then continued his impressive season by striking twice to leave Derbyshire on 71 for 3 at the close, 171 runs behind with skipper Chris Rogers 49 not out.

Both teams had to make late changes with Derbyshire losing pace bowler Steffan Jones to a virus, while Gloucestershire batsman Chris Taylor was also the victim of a bug. That meant an unexpected call-up for Kadeer Ali who was forced to make a cross-country journey from Somerset to the east midlands because of problems on the M5.

He eventually arrived at the County Ground during the lunch interval after a four-hour journey and then struggled for 36 minutes for five before he was bowled by Tom Lungley playing down the wrong line.

By then, Derbyshire's bowlers had adjusted their radar after a scatter-gun start had helped Batty and Steve Snell post Gloucestershire's best opening stand of the season.

They posted 48 before Snell tried to force Sheikh square and sliced to gully - and Chris Dent followed in the 19-year-old's next over when he pushed forward and was caught behind without scoring.

Despite their wayward bowling, Derbyshire struck again before lunch when Hamish Marshall was caught down the leg side for five off Greg Smith but Batty and skipper Alex Gidman then put on 72.

Batty had played patiently for just over two-and-a-half hours when he flashed at Lungley and was caught at second slip by Hughes, who then pouched his third catch when Sheikh returned in the next over to remove Gidman for 37.

Kadeer was bowled playing forward to Lungley and, although Jon Lewis hit three consecutive fours, he gave Hughes a fourth catch when he edged Tim Groenewald. Gloucestershire's hopes of getting to 300 vanished when James Franklin was lbw to the fourth ball after tea and Robin Peterson wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls.

Derbyshire lost Wayne Madsen in the third over, lbw to Lewis for nought, then Hussain trapped Garry Park leg before for four and had Smith caught at second slip, but Rogers looked well set at stumps.