Derbyshire v Northamptonshire day 1

Derbyshire 342-3 (Jewell 91*, Came 73, Madsen 57*, Montgomery 54, Reece 39)

v Northamptonshire 

At the risk of offending any of my readers elsewhere, there is something quintessentially English about watching a cricket ground 'wake up'.

I looked out at it last night, a few of the ladies team training, perhaps after injury and closed my curtains as dusk fell. Soon afterwards, I was asleep, it had been one of those days. 

This morning I awoke and saw the covers coming off, the roller on the pitch, the grass on the square being trimmed. It is something of which I was a part at club level for many years, but I haven't seen it at first-class level so I felt almost privileged. Then the players arrived, Brooke Guest first on to the ground, as befits a bloke with a model work ethic, taking guard and visualising at either end, en route to the nets. I plan to make the most of this opportunity, as I won't get it where I stay in Chesterfield. Unless I bunk up overnight in the hothouse there...

On to the action and there was reassurance in seeing Luis Reece restored to the top of the order. Like one of these fancy fence supports you can hammer into the ground and then secure to a sagging fence post, he was brought in to do a job for which he is eminently qualified. On a pleasantly warm day, even a hint of green couldn't discourage the thought that it was a win the toss and bat day, which Wayne Madsen duly did.

There was considerable whooping and a-hollering from the visiting fielders, together with enough appeals to fill a collection bucket. Yet Came and Reece batted sensibly and soundly, playing straight, eschewing risk and reaping rewards as a consequence. It was proper cricket and all the more enjoyable because of that. Reece looked unhurried, as he so often does and at present he seems to wield a bat with no edges, only middle. Meanwhile, Came's feet were moving well, always a good sign and he reached his fifty just before the partnership registered a century stand, prior to the lunch interval. It was an encouraging morning after recent events and appeared an excellent toss to win.

Reece departed early in the afternoon, clipping to midwicket, but Montgomery came in and was quickly into his elegant stride. They took the score past 150, before the returning Sanderson got his name on the scorecard by having Came caught at slip, after a fine innings.

Worse bowlers than Sanderson have played for England and even on a good pitch he carries danger. He is too old now and the pace was never quick enough to attract the interest of national selectors, but he is a canny warrior who most opening bats on the circuit would wish to avoid. 

Jewell came in at four and the volume from the slip cordon vocal ensemble cranked up a little for a player known to be out of touch. I haven't heard so many unwarranted 'Oohs' and 'Ahs' since the era of Leonard Sachs and The Good Old Days and it was a little wearing as the day went on. When he first came in, an attempted drive that would have raced to the boards last year was missed, but three successive boundaries from Sales - a hook, a guide through the slips, then a drive through the covers - suggested confidence might return in his new niche. 

He progressed serenely to an unbeaten 44 at tea, when Montgomery had reached a composed 50 and the score was 230-2. By that stage the visitors had used eight bowlers, but at least had the second new ball to offer hope.

The breakthrough came after tea, but it was Harrison who got it, getting Montgomery leg before. He looked less than happy, but as they say, it's in the scorebook. Thereafter, Madsen and Jewell scored pretty much at will, the captain still looking a player of great class. As for Caleb, I couldn't be happier if he goes on to three figures tomorrow. The drop down the order has worked for him and fair play to Mickey Arthur and his coaches for getting the top order right and out of the trough in which they found themselves.

Of course, another benign (non-hybrid) pitch helped and it could be that this just becomes another high-scoring single innings match, as Northamptonshire bat deep. Or, the overs bowled by the visiting attack around the wicket today, at both Jewell and Reece, might just create a rough for Shoaib Bashir to exploit as the game progresses.

Time will tell. But that was a Wallace and Gromit-style grand day out and thanks to everyone who stopped to have a word during the course of the day. 

It is always a pleasure.