Essex v Derbyshire Day 1 - Lunch report

There was a lot of media coverage over the winter months regarding arrivals at the County Ground. We’ve had new players, new contracts and new coaches, but I can only assume that one new arrival slipped under the radar.

For surely we’ve picked up Hans Christian Andersen? Yet no fairytale ever matched that first morning of work by Derbyshire’s seamers, with three wickets from an apparently quick and accurate Mark Footitt and four, including a first morning hat-trick, for Tim Groenewald.

At 44-1, James Foster’s decision to bat first appeared to have been vindicated, but when Groenewald had England skipper Alastair Cook caught down the leg side, the slide began.

A classic hat-trick ensued – slip catch, bowled and leg-before, as Bopara, Smith and Foakes all came and went in quick time.

It was a terrific, memorable effort by the Derbyshire side, with good captaincy involved too. The important wicket of Napier went just before the break, well caught at fourth slip by Stephen Moore, just after he’d been put in there by Wayne Madsen.

There’s still work to do yet and however many we get them out for, we then need to do better when its our turn in the middle.

Yet one thing is for sure.

As first mornings of the season go, they don’t come much better than that.