Essex battle to keep Championship hope alive

Derbyshire v Essex – LV=Insurance County Championship – The Incora County Ground, Derby – Day One – Summary

Derbyshire 146 (47.1 overs)

Essex 86/3 (38.0 overs)

Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bat

Essex trail Derbyshire by 60 runs with seven first-innings wickets standing

Essex made a solid start to their LV=Insurance County Championship encounter with Derbyshire as they look to puts pressure on those around immediately above them in the Group One table.

With their chances of retaining the Bob Willis Trophy diminishing, it was vitally important that Essex made a positive start. Shane Snater led the way with 3/45, while Jimmy Neesham (2/15), Jamie Porter (2/31) and Sam Cook (2/36) contributed handsomely with teh ball as Derbyshire were reduced to 146 – Leus du Plooy top-scoring for the home side with 43 during a 168-minute stint in the middle.

Responding, Essex had reached 86/3 at the close. Fynn Hudson-Prentice overseeing the dismissals of skipper, Tom Westley and Michael Pepper – Nicke Browne unbeaten on 28, with Neesham (10). Play resumes on Monday at 11am.

Derbyshire: LM Reece, TA Wood, BD Guest, JL du Plooy, MJJ Critchley (Capt), HRC Came, HR Hosein (WK), AT Thomson, FJ Hudson-Prentice, MAR Cohen, BW Aitchison

Essex: NLJ Browne, AN Cook, T Westley (Capt), MS Pepper, JDS Neesham, RN ten Doeschate, AJA Wheater (WK), SR Harmer, S Snater, SJ Cook, JA Porter

Umpires: NA Mallender and JD Middlebrook

Scorers: JM Brown and AE Choat

Match Referee: PM Such