Twenty wickets fell on the opening day of Worcestershire’s Specsavers County Championship match with Derbyshire at Kidderminster.
Derbyshire opted to bat and were dismissed for 108 in 44.2 overs with Worcestershire club captain Joe Leach and Charlie Morris inflicting most of the damage.
The home side were then bowled out for 113 in 39.5 overs.
There was swing throughout the day and seam movement – although not excessive – and both sets of bowlers asked plenty of questions.
Derbyshire reached 19-0 in their seven overs – a lead of 14 and the Worcestershire bowlers will be looking to make the same impact as this morning when play resumes tomorrow at Chester Road.
Worcestershire paceman Dillon Pennington, making his first appearance of the season after injury, struck the first blow when Billy Godleman (8) drove hard at the England Under-19 player and Callum Ferguson held onto a sharp chance at third slip.
Pennington and Leach constantly beat the bat without reward in their initial spells and it set the tone of bowlers being on top for the next six hours.
Wayne Madsen (11) was trapped lbw by Ed Barnard and Tom Lace (1) nicked Morris through to keeper Ben Cox to leave Derbyshire on 33-3 in the 18th over.
Reece and Leus Du Plooy were watchful in trying to repair the innings and battled through to lunch without being parted.
But 11 wickets fell for 91 runs during the afternoon session.
Leach (14-6-33-3) picked up three wickets in seven balls immediately after the resumption to account for Reece (31) at first slip, Harvey Hosein (0) lbw and Matt Critchley (0) at second slip – and then Morris turned the screw.
He ended with 4-26 from 13 overs to take his wicket tally in the Championship this season to 30.
Du Plooy (14) and Anuj Dal (0) were pouched at first and second slip respectively and Cox pulled of a superb goalkeeper style catch high to his left to dispose of Fynn Hudson-Prentice (31) – also off Morris.
Ed Barnard wrapped up the innings when Ravi Rampaul (4) edged to first slip
When Worcestershire launched their reply, batting was also a challenging experience and Josh Dell (0) was caught behind in Rampaul’s first over.
Callum Ferguson (13) nicked a ball of extra bounce to second slip and Mitchell (13) was lbw to Reece.
Wessels (13) also went leg before to Hudson-Prentice and Ross Whiteley (5) was caught behind off an away swinger from Reece who then had Cox (4) lbw.
Barnard (17) was caught at point to give Reece a fourth success after Rampaul had dismissed Brett D’Oliveira (5) to leave Worcestershire on 77-8.
Leach (14) and Pennington, who top-scored with 18, put together the best stand of the inning – 33 – before Hudson-Prentice dismissed both.
