Worcestershire picked up three wickets on a truncated opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Derbyshire at the 3aaa County
Skipper Joe Leach, Jack Shantry and Josh Tongue enjoyed one success apiece as Derbyshire reached 111-3 from 40 overs by the close with Luis Reece unbeaten on 53.
The toss was uncontested with Leach unsurprisingly electing to bowl first when play finally got underway at 4pm after a wet outfield had delayed proceedings.
Leach took the new ball and struck in his first over as left-hander Ben Slater (2) lost his off stump to a fine delivery.
The 26-year-old and Ed Barnard bowled well without much luck with the new ball in spells of 7-2-15-1 and 6-2-12-0 respectively.
Derbyshire's second wicket pair of Shiv Thakor and Luis Reece added 55 in 21.1 overs.
Nathan Lyon – the 23rd Australian to play County Championship for Worcestershire – was brought into the attack after 20 overs although his initial spell lasted only one over.
But the next over from, Jack Shantry, brought about the downfall of Thakor (23) with a lifting delivery.
The ball looped over the fielders behind the wicket off the shoulder of the bat and Daryl Mitchell running back from second slip completed the catch at 57-2.
Shantry then came close to trapping Reece lbw in his next over.
It became 79-3 when Josh Tongue induced an edge from Wayne Madsen (11) as he prodded half forward to a ball that moved away and Ben Cox snaffled the catch.
Lyon gradually settled in a good line and length, drawing the batsmen forward, after some early loose deliveries.
Reece went to his half century off 100 balls with his fifth boundary – off Tongue – out of 96-3.
Leach ended with 1-20 from 10 overs, Shantry 1-14 from seven and Tongue 1-31 from eight.
