Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire day 1

Nottinghamshire 324 (Cohen 3-47, McKiernan 2-3 Reece 2-45) 

Derbyshire 9-0

After putting Nottinghamshire in on winning the toss, Billy Godleman will have hoped for greater control from his rookie attack than was shown before lunch today.

Both Ben Aitchison and Sam Conners bowled good deliveries, but both were errant in line and length too often for peak county supporters and the opening pair of Hameed and Nash were able to score with relative ease. Greater control only came with the advent of Reece and Hudson-Prentice.

Aitchison seems to get a lot of bounce and has a quicker ball that caused Harvey Hosein to require treatment in his second spell. There is certainly a bowler there and I thought he bowled better as the day went on. 

I understand our wanting to have a look at all three young seamers, but it meant that Michael Cohen, reputedly the quickest, didn't bowl before lunch. Perhaps his 'skiddy' nature is deemed better suited to an older ball, which will bounce lower, but five seamers appeared overload, an extra batsman perhaps more useful, especially with several spinners available. 

Lunch came with the home side a largely untroubled 109-0.

Conners was the morning pick of the bowlers and quickly took the wicket of Nash, palpably leg before, after lunch. When Aitchison took his first, squaring Duckett up to be nicely caught by du Plooy at slip, things looked a little better. 

It became a session diametrically opposed to the one that preceded it. The answer to why Cohen didn't bowl in the morning appeared to be that his pace brings a risk of varied line, which we already had, but his advent tore the heart from the home batting. 

Reece took two in an over, the second a brilliant catch by McKiernan, while the young South African was too quick for Clarke and Trego, both caught behind by Hosein. On first viewing he is a bowler of serious pace and potential, one who will only get better with experience.

Moores was also gone before tea, edging Hudson-Prentice to Hosein, who shortly before put down a catch from him that should have been held, or left for Madsen at first slip. The interval came with Nottinghamshire 209-7, the game even 

Heavy rain delayed the restart but sterling work by the groundstaff saw only six overs lost. Patel then batted beautifully, aided by bowling that again lacked length and direction. Both Conners and Cohen took stiff punishment, before the latter took his third wicket, a routine catch to Madsen at slip.

Ball and Evison then took their side to slight ascendancy with a merry partnership that took the score to 321, before the belated introduction of McKiernan saw him take the last two wickets in eight balls. The innings ended at 324, with Derbyshire left to face four overs.

This was safely negotiated by Godleman and Reece, as Derbyshire finished 9-0.

In closing, a word of praise for the Nottinghamshire stream. They didn't always get the angle right (being on the midwicket camera for Habeeb's dismissal) but it improved as the day went on, in what was its first use. It was a big improvement on what it was, which was already appreciated. 

Well done, guys.