DERBY (first day of four; Derbyshire won toss)

Essex have scored 269-9 (84 overs; RS Bopara 136 not out, JL Clare 3-40) against Derbyshire

Lunch

Put in on a green pitch of no great pace when play started late at 12.15, Essex lost Jason Gallian in the 45 minutes possible before lunch. Trying to abort a cut, he played on for four to Tom Lungley whose six impressive overs contrasted markedly with the more erratic Rikki Clarke. The captain was thought to have taken the new ball for the first time in his career.

Essex gave a championship debut to Adam Wheater, an 18-year-old wicket keeper, when Jamie Foster, a fellow son of Whipps Cross, failed a fitness test on a bruised thumb. Alistair Cook, released for the game by England, replaced Varun Chopra and, for Derbyshire, Jon Clare replaced Ian Hunter whilst, with Greg Smith injured, Freddie Klokker, the Danish wicket keeper, was included as a batsman.

Tea

After Tom Westley had been superbly run out by Tom Lungley, Jon Clare, a product of the Lancashire Academy and of Jimmy Anderson’s old comprehensive in Burnley, seized the initiative for Derbyshire by reducing Essex to 76 for five in the hour after lunch. In only his third championship appearance, the 21-year-old Clare claimed three wickets for as many runs in his first 33 balls.

But nobody could dislodge a ravishing Ravi Bopara whose unbeaten 75 at tea required 81 balls as he dominated an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 81 with James Middlebrook. The latter’s intelligent contribution, giving Bopara his head, was 11 not out. In magnificent touch from the start, Bopara, cutting and driving, followed scores of 150 in the Championship and 99 in the Friends Provident Trophy in his two other innings this season.

Close

Middlebrook, outscored three-to-one in an eventual 105-run stand, went for 23 after tea before Bopara brought up his magnificent century from 115 balls. Adam Wheatley impressed through 25 overs in his first innings at this level as the seventh wicket then added 71 more runs to complete a rousing recovery.

There was, by now, very little in the pitch but the new ball was taken for the final four overs, immediately it was available, and undid Chris Wright and David Masters. Taking a single off the final ball, however, the unbeaten Bopara will start again first thing on Thursday.