Chappell has record-breaking first day

You only get one chance to make a first impression – and Zak Chappell certainly made a mark on his opening day in first-class cricket at Derbyshire.

Chappell scored a magnificent 96, the highest first-class score by a number ten in Leicestershire’s history, as the team recovered from 154-8 to post 329 at the 3aaa County Ground.

Leicestershire had been in trouble despite good contributions from opener Ned Eckersley (50) and number five Aadil Ali (37) as Mark Footitt claimed six of the first eight wickets.

Chappell shared 81 for the ninth wicket with Rob Taylor (37) before adding 94 with last man Ollie Freckingham, who made a career-best 34 not out.

The 19-year-old passed Phil DeFreitas’ previous best score by a No. 10 – 81 against Durham in 2000 – but fell agonisingly short of his century as the returning Footitt got one through his defences to finish with career-best figures of 7-71.

Derbyshire had a solid start to their first innings, ending on 54 without loss, so will resume 275 in arrears.

Leicestershire showed three changes from the team that lost their last game to Essex as Chappell, Freckingham and Lewis Hill came in for Rob Sayer, Wayne White and Charlie Shreck.

The team were invited to bat first by Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen and Eckersley struck four early boundaries as the team got off to a flying start.

Footitt then pegged pack progress with a burst of four wickets in the space of 22 deliveries, starting by bowling two batsmen in as many balls.  Angus Robson (8) was first to go as Footitt nipped one back to disturb the timbers after the opener had opted to play no stroke. The bowler then removed the off stump of Redfern (0) with another highly accurate delivery.

The left armer claimed a third wicket when Cosgrove (3) got a leading edge to Ben Slater at mid-on before Eckersley, who hit another quartet of fours, recorded a superb 40-ball fifty. However, with no further addition, he clipped Footitt to Chesney Hughes at square-leg to leave Leicestershire at 73-4.

Ali and Niall O’Brien (19) steadied the ship with a fifth-wicket stand of 44 but it was ended on the stroke of lunch. Footitt may have come out of the attack having moved to 70 wickets for the summer but he was still in the thick of the action, taking a catch off Ben Cotton at mid-on following another leading edge.

The score was 117-5 at that point and lunch was taken slightly early because of a shower. Play was able to resume at 1.50pm and the extended break allowed Footitt to have an immediate burst after his earlier ten-over spell.

He completed a five-for by having Lewis Hill (5) held by Billy Godleman in the cordon and a sixth wicket followed - Footitt’s 250th in Championship cricket - as Ben Raine (6) edged behind to Tom Poynton.

Ali made his way to 37 and although he was dropped at point off Tom Milnes, he edged the very next delivery from the seamer to Poynton. It was a first Derbyshire wicket for Milnes, who yesterday signed a permanent deal having previously joined on loan from Warwickshire.

Leicestershire were now struggling at 154-8 but Chappell played confidently alongside Rob Taylor and the pair added 71 by tea. The duo were happy to play their shots in moving to 33 apiece before the interval.

Although Chappell was dropped on that score at mid-off in the first over after tea, Rob Taylor’s innings ended four runs later after driving the off-spin of Wes Durston to Tom Knight at short extra cover with the score at 235-9.

Number eleven Freckingham offered tremendous support to Chappell, who brought up Leicestershire’s 250 with a two. The duo had already done a good job but then went beyond the call of duty to ensure County banked a third batting point. Freckingham hit two consecutive Tom Taylor deliveries for four in the 64^th over and Chappell progressed to a well-constructed 50 from 85 balls (6x4).

The confident Chappell went past the record held by DeFreitas and when the teenager was reprieved for a second time on 90 - this time at deep mid-wicket - he looked destined to reach three figures.

It wasn’t quite meant to be. Chappell’s brilliant 122-ball stay, which included twelve fours and a maximum, was ended as Footitt rattled the stumps with a yorker.

That left Derbyshire a tricky period of ten overs to bat and Billy Godleman and Ben Slater got through unscathed. The former moved beyond 1,000 LV=CC runs for the summer before stumps.