Greg Smith believes Mark Pettini will again have to be in good form if Essex are to stand a chance of winning the clash with Derbyshire

County Championship Division Two: day one Derbyshire 36-1 Essex 182 all out

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

In-form Derbyshire hold a big advantage heading into day two of their County Championship clash with Essex after the visitors skittled out the hosts for just 182 in what seemed batting-friendly conditions at Chelmsford.

Off-season signing David Wainwright was the protagonist as he bagged his third five-wicket haul of the campaign to put his side firmly in control.

The former Yorkshire man finished with 22.2-7-51-5 as his left arm off spin caused havoc with the home batting line-up.

Derbyshire top the table after three victories this season, but it should have been a good day for the hosts after winning the toss and choosing to bat on a pitch which offered little swing.

The visitors, who have not won a championship match at Chelmsford since 1937, didn’t make the most of the new ball, bowling too wide and allowing openers Alviro Petersen and Tom Westley leave the vast majority of deliveries.

It took five overs before the sizeable crowd saw the first act of aggression as Westley punched nicely through the off side on the back foot from a short and wide one from former team-mate Antonio Palladino.

Petersen brought up his first boundary with a well-timed off drive, although that would be the highlight of his innings as with the final ball of the seventh over he edged to Martin Guptill at second slip for nine.

Westley was unperturbed hitting Palladino to the leg side boundary a further three times in the eighth and 10th overs.

New partner Owais Shah- in his first County Championship appearance this season- looked equally at ease, clipping Ross Whiteley through mid-wicket for four, while the same bowler was punished by Westley, who produced the shot of the morning to hit through the onside for another boundary.

However four balls later and another promising Westley innings was to end prematurely as an inside edge off a wide half volley from Jon Clare clattered into the stumps after he made 36.

Shah did not last much longer as Wainwright found success with his first delivery of the day, as he had the former England batsman caught behind by wicketkeeper Tom Poynton for 21.

Essex resumed the afternoon session 80-3, but it took just one ball for them to be four down as England under-19 international Ben Foakes nibbled at a well-directed Poynton delivery.

James Foster didn’t last much longer as he edged to Wes Durston at slip for a duck.

Greg Smith counter attacked smashing Wainwright then Clare to the boundary with powerful leg side smashes, while Pettini adopted a more measured approach, taking 80 deliveries to score his first four

Smith smashed Wainwright to the legside boundary in the 53rd over but just one ball later walking back to the pavilion as he moved half forward to bat pad to Dan Refern at short leg who took a tremendous one handed diving catch forward.

Essex were in trouble at tea on 154-6, although Pettini was looking extremely comfortable unbeaten on 43.

Four balls into the final sessions and Pettini smashed another shot through the offside for another boundary.

He was fast running out of partners however as Masters went for 13 after edging a Groenwald delivery to Guptil, before Pettini (56) became Wainwright’s fifth victim thanks to a sharp caught and bowled.

Tymal Mills was caught plumb in front by Palladino for nought, before Willoughby was run out for just one.

Essex wasted an opportunity to make an early breakthrough as Petersen dropped Martin Guptill off Masters.

Just one ball later though and the hosts took their first wicket as Paul Borrington was trapped plumb in front by Masters for three.