Half centuries for Derbyshire duo

Half centuries from Garry Park and James Pipe could not prevent Northamptonshire from enjoying the better of proceedings on day one of the Chesterfield Festival today. Park scored 55 off 117 balls before Pipe later produced a rapid cameo of 58 off 34 deliveries after Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bat at Queen’s Park. Their contributions, however, could not save John Morris’s side from a disappointing total of 251 as debutant seamer Jack Brooks took 4 for 76 on his Championship debut for the visitors. Northamptonshire closed the day on 137 for 3 in reply, Tim Groenwald having taken two wickets. Chris Rogers and Wayne Madsen gave the Derbyshire innings a promising start as their opening stand reached 47 without alarm before Madsen was caught in the slips as he attempted to drive Johannes van der Wath. Rogers quickly followed trapped lbw by Brooks before Greg Smith and Park looked to have settled the innings, taking the score to 108 for 2 on the verge of lunch. Smith had looked in excellent touch, striking six boundaries in his 25 runs, and it was a massive and timely breakthrough for the visitors when the South African all-rounder’s cut stroke was pouched at point by Riki Wessels. Wavell Hinds (10) followed shortly after the break as his off stump was uprooted by van der Wath and Dan Redfern (4) quickly went caught behind to the same bowler. That double dismissal brought Pipe to the crease and – after starting with three boundaries in his first four deliveries – he never looked back, passing 50 for the tenth time in his Derbyshire career. Park hung around while 46 were added, scoring his seventh fifty of the current season, before he was out to a mis-judged pull shot. Further resistance came from the tail as Steffan Jones scored 22 and Mark Lawson 16, but Derbyshire’s total was some way short of what they would have expected. The three late wickets gave them hope, however, Tim Groenewald inducing a nick from Niall O’Brien (15) and trapping Stephen Peters (39) lbw while Wavell Hinds took the crucial wicket of Rob White (62 off 56 balls), also lbw.