Hughes haul as wickets tumble

Alex Hughes returned career-best figures as Derbyshire exploited helpful conditions before Glamorgan hit back as 16 wickets fell on the opening day of the Championship Division Two match at the County Ground.

The medium-pacer claimed 4 for 46 after Tony Palladino blew away the top order to finish with three 3 for 14 from 14 overs. Glamorgan were bowled out for 138 on a grassy pitch, with only Murray Goodwin and Mark Wallace offering any resistance.

Goodwin survived two dropped chances to score 44 and Wallace made 30 but the rest of the batting had no answer to the swinging ball and Derbyshire also struggled despite a half-century from Wes Durston to close four ahead on 142 for 6.

Glamorgan had failed to make 200 in five of their previous six innings against Derbyshire and they were soon in trouble after they were put in to bat on a morning made for seam and swing bowling. The Derby ground had been under water on Saturday but it was movement through the air on a humid, cloudy day that spelled trouble for the visitors who scored only 15 runs in the first hour and lost three wickets.

Jacques Rudolph was caught behind off an inside edge in the second over to give Gareth Cross his 200th first-class victim and after 48 balls without a run from the bat, William Bragg was lbw playing half forward to Palladino. The paceman did not concede a run until the second ball of his sixth over and he took his third wicket when Ben Wright edged one that moved away to second slip.

If Goodwin had not been dropped on nought at third slip, Glamorgan's position would have been even worse as the clatter of wickets continued with Chris Cooke lbw half forward to Hughes for 11 and Jim Allenby edging a firm push at Tom Taylor to Cross.

With half the side gone for 50 at lunch, Glamorgan's hopes rested with Goodwin and Wallace who showed what was possible by batting for 19 overs but Goodwin's dismissal sparked another collapse. The 41-year-old was caught behind off Hughes as he tried to take his bat away and Wallace quickly followed with a prod at Mark Footitt that ended in the hands of third slip.

Glamorgan lost their last four wickets for eight runs in 31 balls and although the ball had zoomed around in the heavy atmosphere, it had not been a distinguished batting display by the visitors on a track cleared of any blame by pitch liaison officer Tony Pigott.

James Harris celebrated his return to his home county on a month's loan from Middlesex by having Derbyshire's Billy Godleman caught behind in the seventh over and two big wickets followed in the space of three overs.

Wayne Madsen was lbw falling across as he tried to work Allenby through midwicket and Will Owen struck with his third ball when he beat Shivnarine Chanderpaul's tentative push to win an lbw decision from Nick Cook. Durston and Ben Slater lifted Derbyshire to 126 for 3 but Harris and Michael Hogan took three wickets in 28 balls to keep Glamorgan in the game.

Glamorgan's Wallace admitted it had been a tough start at the County Ground. "The last half-hour of the session has dragged it back for us," he said. "It was tough this morning, it seamed around and swung a bit and Derbyshire bowled very, very well but it's even Stevens on the scoreboard now.''

Derbyshire's elite performance director Graeme Welch was pleased with his side's bowling performance, saying: "The lads are bowling well in tandem and the unit is coming on. You can get carried away on pitches like this but they bowled good lines and good lengths and got their rewards. If we had been four down it would probably have been our day but we've just let them back in with another couple of wickets.''