Derbyshire v. Durham day one

Derbyshire 317-6 (Guest 145*, Madsen 62, Ali 38, Borthwick 2-12, Raine 2-51, Potts 2-57)

v Durham

A magnificent, unbeaten, career best century by Brooke Guest steered Derbyshire to a position slightly in the ascendancy at the end of the first day at Derby.

The ball did something for the bowlers all day, with movement off the pitch for seam and spin alike. Ben Raine especially was a handful and if I could import any non-international county player into this Derbyshire side, he would likely be in the mix. He is a very good, accurate and probing bowler, worth his weight in gold to Durham.

It was hard going for the openers, as Potts also bowled well early. Luis Reece never looked comfortable, but looking ahead to next year I see him as an all rounder down the order. Harry Came was not at his most fluent, but the value of occupying the crease can never be underestimated in this form of the game. Much as Paul Borrington went under the radar when we won this division in 2012, seeing the shine off the ball and putting overs into the legs of the bowlers, so Harry did here. 

He went before lunch, but could do little about the ball that bowled him, an absolute peach by Potts. Madsen came in and could easily have been dismissed 3 or 4 times himself before the interval, but survived.

After lunch it was a different story. He batted well, with trademark strokes, but the day was primarily about Guest, who went to a second successive century with a sweep. There were strokes all around the wicket and he really is a player to enjoy when in this kind of form. His cover driving today was a joy to behold.

The running was good too and Derbyshire were completely on top when Ali, after playing with restraint and considerable class, had a brain freeze, walked out of his crease and was stumped. It was the second time this season that he has been dismissed in such a fashion, once being unfortunate, twice being careless, at best.

Then du Plooy hit a poor ball from Borthwick straight to cover and the game was even. I felt sorry for Parkinson at this point, who had bowled pretty well without success, yet saw the part time legspin of his captain take two wickets that were barely deserved. Borthwick's elevated arm after every delivery suggests he has bowled a grenade, rather than cricket ball, but he did a job for his side on this occasion.

Dal helped to steer the score towards calmer waters, before he lost his off bail to another fine delivery, this time by Raine. Yet Thomson batted with good common sense until the close, when Guest was one blow from 150.

The Derbyshire wicket keeper is a very special cricketer. Despite a slow start to the season with the bat, he now averages 40 and is a massively important player in this side.

Today, not for the first time, I don't know what we would have done without him. Only Bill Storer, with twelve, has made more centuries as wicket keeper for Derbyshire. Brooke has seven and will likely forge onwards to top that list in the years ahead.

All in all it was a very good, enjoyable day's cricket. Hopefully we can add more runs tomorrow, then our bowlers can follow up with Raine-like discipline in due course.