Hashim Amla’s sojourn in English County Cricket with Derbyshire kicked off on a low note when he was lbw to Rory Kleinveldt for one.
It was an erratic day for the hosts, who chose to bat and started with an opening stand of 65. But when fellow Saffa Wayne Madsen was dismissed for 25, Derbys were 151-7. But thanks to a tail-end fightback, led by Matthew Critchley (137), they closed the day at 343. Kleinveldt ended with 2-101 off 26. Northants are without Richard Levi, who dislocated his finger in the previous match.
Amla will be available for two four-day matches and three NatWest T20 Blast fixtures before heading of to Bangladesh with South Africa.
Kevin Pietersen was back in action after Surrey’s bye in the last round, joining Kumar Sangakkara at the crease when the team were 51-2 in reply to Leicestershire’s 292. At twilight, he had 35 off 51 balls, putting on 54 with Sangakkara (35).
Riki Wessels and Vernon Philander kept Nottinghamshire alive with a stand of 110 for the eighth wicket, helping to compile a first innings of 245 against Durham. Wessels, born in Australia to former SA captain Kepler, anchored the innings after they were reeling at 40-4. Philander joined him with the score on 102-7. They took it to 212, when Philander fell for 41 off 106 balls, while Wessels was last man out. His 117 came off 168 balls with 17 fours.
Keaton Jennings (18) was one of three Durham wickets to fall for 69 in reply, during which Philander conceded just 16 runs from his six overs.
Elsewhere, Lancashire’s Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince had a long day in the field as Gloucestershire knocked up 322-7 off 96 overs. Zimbabwean seamer Kyle Jarvis continued his good run with 2-80.
In Canterbury, Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph lost the toss and was condemned to a day in the field at Kent piled up 330-8 off 95 overs.
Meanwhile, down in Taunton, Tim Groenewald, a junior to Kevin Pietersen at Maritzburg College, is making a name for himself against the touring New Zealanders in their opening warm-up match. He took 4-71 in New Zealand’s first innings of 237, and then 5-65 in the second innings. Still, Somerset are 202 with four wickets remaining. Johann Myburgh had a game to forget, scoring three and four.
Compiled by Mark Salter
