Derbyshire lay strong foundation on day one

Wayne Madsen led the way with 111 as Derbyshire laid a strong foundation in their bid to claim a first win of the season in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

The 37-year-old scored his first century of the season and Matt Critchley 85 as Derbyshire made good first use of a flat pitch at The 1st Central County Ground against Sussex, reaching 371 for five on day one.

The game has effectively turned into a battle for the wooden spoon with Sussex 2.5 points behind their visitors at the bottom of Division Three.

Two wickets in the morning session for @henry_crocombe. 👏#GOSBTS pic.twitter.com/JuYWk8AZ1W

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) September 21, 2021

After captain Billy Godleman and Harry Came put on 89 in 16 overs – Derbyshire’s best opening stand of the season – seamer Henry Crocombe picked up two wickets in successive overs to check Derbyshire’s progress.

Sussex leaked seven runs an over in the first hour before Crocombe, one of eight bowlers used, returned for a second spell and struck his third ball, slanting one across to win an lbw verdict after Came made 45.

In his next over Crocombe persuaded Leus du Plooy to clip a length ball low to mid-wicket – du Plooy’s eighth duck of the season – to leave Derbyshire 89 for two.

Madsen and Godleman added 96 in 25 overs either side of lunch and reached their half-centuries in successive overs before Jamie Atkins, the 19-year-old highly-rated quick bowler, marked his return after nearly three months out with shoulder trouble by producing the ball of the day, a lifter which squared up Godleman (52). Atkins was the pick of the Sussex attack.

Two wickets today for @JamieAtkins2005. 👊#GOSBTS pic.twitter.com/s9qaIuCmaz

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) September 21, 2021

But in his 200th first-class match Madsen played with increasing authority and either side of tea he was joined by Critchley in a stand of 123 in 38 overs.

Critchley skipped down the pitch twice in an over to deposit off-spinner Jack Carson over long-on on his way to an eighth half-century of the summer shortly before Madsen eased to the 32nd first-class century of his career.

He had moved onto 111 – his first hundred against Sussex - when left-armer Sean Hunt took the new ball and Madsen swung the second delivery with it to deep square-leg after just over four hours at the crease, during which he faced 182 balls and hit ten fours.

Critchley looked certain to follow Madsen to a hundred only to be bowled off an inside edge by the persevering Atkins for 85 from 152 balls, leaving him needing 15 runs in the second innings to reach 1,000 for the season.

Sussex captain Tom Haines said: "I can't fault the effort of the bowlers, they stuck at it. There was a bit in the pitch in the first hour but we didn't get it right in the first session and it means Derbyshire have probably had the better of the day. But I thought Jamie Atkins bowled with real heart and I was pleased when he came back at the end and bowled a really good spell and got Critchley out. The same applies to Henry Crocombe, who has tried his heart out all season and really improved his skills. It's a good pitch and hopefully there are some runs in there for us."

Derbyshire centurion Wayne Madsen said: "Someone said I've now made centuries against 12 counties and it was nice to get one against Sussex but I was frustrated when I got out because I thought I could go on and make a big one. It was a bit of a relief and obviously a delight to get my first three figures of the season and more importantly to put us in a really strong position. The openers got us off to a pretty decent start and it was nice to then have a partnership with Billy [Godleman] and Critch [Matt Critchley]. It has put us in a terrific position, and we have given ourselves a really good chance of getting a positive result."