Madsen makes hay as Worcestershire bowlers suffer

Last season’s leading run scorer in the competition launched his 15th season for the county with 87 from 134 balls before Derbyshire lost late wickets to close on 300 for 8.

Billy Godleman set the tempo by hitting three sixes in a 61 ball 70 after Worcestershire had put Derbyshire in on a rain affected opening day at the Incora County Ground.

Derbyshire were well set at 189 for 3 but Matthew Waite led a fightback to finish with impressive figures of 3 for 43 from 14 overs.

A wet outfield prevented any play before lunch but the ground was bathed in bright sunshine when Worcestershire decided to bowl first.

It looked a good toss to win but a combination of Goldeman’s intent and poor bowling saw Derbyshire seize the initiative from the start.

Haider Ali is expected to provide some pyrotechnics at the top of the order but it was Godleman who lit the fuse on an encouraging first day for the home side.

This was not so much Bazball as Billyball with Godleman approaching the start of the championship season as a rehearsal for the Vitality Blast.

Even Joe Leach, who settled into an early rhythm, was treated dismissively at times while Josh Tongue was flayed from the attack after three overs.

Worcestershire all-rounder Matthew Waite said: “Obviously we would have liked for it to go a lot better, it didn’t really click for us straight up with the ball but I think we’ll be better for a couple of spells out there.

“I don’t want to make excuses but it’s been hard with the weather and that’s our first proper day in the field but we need to do better and we will be better.

“There’s a lot of talk about the Bazball stuff but I just think we bowled quite a lot of bad balls and they just put them away but i thought we brought it back well in the middle and probably lost our way a bit towards the end again.”

n No play was possible on the opening day of the season at Taunton where Somerset are taking on Warwickshire in the County Championship First Division.

Despite bright sunshine over the Cooper Associates County Ground, heavy overnight rain on an already wet outfield led to play being called off an hour-and-a-half before the scheduled start.

Umpires Alex Wharf and Rob Bailey took the decision on viewing the outfield. There was casual water lying on a large black covering in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion.

Of greater concern was a large heavily sanded area in front of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion where heat lamps are being employed to encourage the growth of grass.