England offspinner Shoaib Bashir was among the wickets before Miles Hammond engineered a Gloucestershire fightback on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match which was marred by an injury to Derbyshire‘s Anuj Dal.

The allrounder was taken to hospital after damaging his right ankle as he ran in to bowl and was replaced by Luis Reece.

Hammond held the visitors together at the Central Co-op County Ground with an unbeaten 140, his first Championship century since July 2024, while Ed Middleton scored a career-best 41 not out to steer the visitors to 287 for 6. Bashir ended with 2 for 51 but Hammond and Middleton claimed the final session to leave the game nicely poised.

The morning session was overshadowed by the injury to Dal who slipped in his delivery stride midway through his fifth over bowling from the City End. Dal rolled over in obvious distress clutching his right ankle and after lengthy treatment, was carried off the field on a stretcher.

Bowlers operating from that end had already showed concern about the footholds and Dal slipped the ball after more sawdust had been put down

Reece joined the match five overs after tea and although he had been left out of the game for personal reasons relating to his young son’s illness he was happy to be the replacement.

When Dal suffered his injury, Gloucestershire were two down against an attack that challenged the batters on a pitch offering assistance to accurate bowling. Both Mohammad Abbas and Ben Aitchison found enough movement to beat the bat numerous times although it was an attacking shot that resulted in the first breakthrough.

Ben Charlesworth, who has agreed to join Lancashire next season, went for a big forcing stroke at Aitchison and was caught behind in the fourth over.

Cameron Bancroft and Ollie Price were steadily rebuilding until Price took on a short ball from Zak Chappell and gloved a catch down the leg side. Bancroft and Hammond saw their side through to lunch but Derbyshire’s pressure brought more rewards in the afternoon.

Only 11 runs had been scored in nine overs when Bancroft turned Martin Andersson off his hip but failed to get over the ball and was caught at square leg.

Hammond went after Bashir, driving him over long-on for six, but the spinner claimed the wicket of James Bracey who was bowled by one that turned enough to clip off stump. Tommy Boorman got a leading edge and another wicket fell in the second over after tea when Graeme van Buuren pulled Bashir powerfully only for Matt Montgomery to take a stunning reflex catch at short leg.

Gloucestershire were wobbling at 167 for 6 but Middleton batted well on his first Championship appearance since September 2024 to help Hammond take the score past 200.

Hammond, dropped at second slip on 99, completed his sixth first-class hundred before driving Abbas to the cover boundary to give Gloucestershire a first batting point of the season. Middleton played with composure and at the close, he and Hammond had added 120 from 184 balls for the seventh wicket.