Graham Clark’s second first-class half-century of the summer led the way as Durham edge the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Derbyshire at Banks Homes Riverside.
Ben Aitchison, whose all-round performance against Middlesex made Derbyshire history as he followed a five-wicket haul with a century, earned impressive figures of 21-5-57-4 to support Wayne Madsen’s decision to bowl first.
The 26-year-old Lancastrian all-rounder also snapped up a low catch at second slip to give the otherwise unlucky Mohammad Abbas a deserved first victim as the visitors took three quick wickets with the second new ball in the evening sunshine to leave Durham wobbling at 264 for seven – only for Ben Raine and Matt Potts to counter-attack.
All of Durham’s top six passed 25 but Clark was the only man to reach 50 as Derbyshire’s varied attack mostly kept the pressure on, with Shoaib Bashir tidy if not overly threatening in bowling 11 wicketless overs.
Durham showed a number of significant changes from their last Championship match against Kent last month, having lost Emilio Gay and Ben Stokes to England while the South African seamer Duanne Olivier came in for his debut against one of his two previous counties.
Derbyshire welcomed back Abbas from Pakistan international duty in the only change from their memorable Aitchison-inspired victory at Lord’s, and he was straight into the action after Madsen chose to field on a bright, blustery morning.
Durham’s powerful left-handed opening pair were watchful against Abbas and Aitchison, with Ben McKinney taking 16 balls to get off the mark.
Derbyshire gave Bashir an early bowl but it was Nick Potts who made the first breakthrough in the 14th over, swinging one back to trap McKinney lbw as he offered no shot.
Durham skipper Alex Lees moved on to 26 from 65 balls before falling to the first ball of Aitchison’s second spell from the Lumley End, top-edging a pull to Harry Came at mid on.
David Bedingham joined Will Rhodes to steer Durham to 75 for two at lunch, and the third wicket pair seemed to be getting on top as they added a further 35 after the break – until Aitchison produced another wicket-taking delivery to have Rhodes, another left-hander, caught behind.
Bedingham looked the most likely Durham batter to make a big score, but after reaching 49 from 88 balls with his eighth boundary he fell to the 89th, with Martin Andersson finding surprising bounce and movement, and Brooke Guest taking an excellent diving catch.
Again, Durham rebuilt and seemed to be chiselling an advantage, this time through a fifth wicket stand of 83 between Clark and Ollie Robinson either side of tea.
But after Clark had reached a battling 135-ball 50 by driving Bashir through the covers in the 80th over, Abbas took the new ball and with his first delivery found the right-hander’s outside edge.
Aitchison then struck with his second ball of the 82nd over, courtesy of another athletic effort from Guest this time down the leg side to dismiss Robinson for 48 from 71 balls.
Kasey Aldridge was pinned lbw four overs later for Aitchison’s fourth victim, but Raine and Potts responded with an unbroken eighth wicket partnership of 38 – completing an unusual day in which each of Durham’s top nine batters reached double figures.