Derbyshire 242 for 3 (Hughes 96, Madsen 58*) v Gloucestershire
Scorecard
Chesney Hughes helped Derbyshire to a solid start © Getty Images
Chesney Hughes fell four short of a hundred as Derbyshire posted 242 for three against some accurate Gloucestershire bowling on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match in Bristol.
The left-handed Hughes shared a century opening stand with Ben Slater (42) and had batted for four and three quarter hours, facing 206 balls and hitting 16 fours, when bowled trying to force offspinner Jack Taylor through the leg side off the back foot.
Wayne Madsen contributed a patient 58 not out off 180 balls, with nine fours, sharing an unbroken stand of 66 with Neil Broom (30 not out) after Hughes was dismissed to ensure Derbyshire ended the day on top.
Liam Norwell was the pick of the home attack with 2 for 55 from 20 overs, while David Payne, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Taylor all performed economically without posing any great threat.
Hughes and Slater gave Derbyshire a solid start after they had won the toss and elected to bat under blue skies. By lunch they had taken the score to 96 with few alarms and it took a spirited spell of 2 for 18 off six overs from Norwell at the start of the afternoon session to raise Gloucestershire morale.
With the score on 103 Slater, who had faced 119 balls and hit six fours, pulled a short ball from Norwell straight to Taylor at square-leg and departed for his lunch score of 42. Hamish Rutherford never looked comfortable and followed in Norwell’s next over, edging through to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick, having contributed only a single.
Hughes, who had reached fifty off 87 balls, then reined himself back with an equally patient Madsen, who was unbeaten on nine at tea, having faced 91 deliveries, with the total 141 for 2.
Both were more positive at the start of the final session. Having taken 95 balls to hit his first boundary, Madsen quickly followed up with two more.
But the loss of Hughes, who had looked in no trouble, necessitated more watchful play and when the new ball was taken at the start of the 81st over Derbyshire were 186 for 3.
Madsen and Broom saw it off with few scares, the former reaching his half-century off 167 balls, with seven fours, playing only the odd shot in anger, but doing an excellent job for his side.
Broom, the New Zealand batsman, marked his first Championship match for Derbyshire with a compact innings and did just the job required and will be looking to build in the morning.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo