For much of yesterday's opening day, the county ground at Derby was bathed in April sunshine. But it was soon clear the conditions would not see the bat hold sway over the ball. Seventeen wickets fell as only Derbyshire's Dan Redfern looked at ease on a pitch that gave the seamers considerable assistance. The 19-year-old made 28 off 73 balls before he was caught behind trying to drive Pedro Collins through extra cover. Greg Smith and Graham Wagg saw the hosts through to the close with an unbeaten 64-run stand, to give Derbyshire a slender first innings lead, but their alliance was not without incident.

Coming together at 88-7, in reply to Surrey's 131, Smith took the hosts' total past the one hundred mark with fours either side of the wicket off Andre Nel. But two overs later, in the 31st, the South African withdrew with a suspected torn hamstring, though not before Wagg had been put down by Jonathan Batty off Collins on four. Wagg was also reprieved on 19 off the bowling of Chris Jordan. Just before the 6.53pm close, Smith celebrated the first fifty partnership of the match by pulling Jade Dernbach to the mid-wicket boundary.

Surrey made two changes to the side that drew with Gloucestershire at the Oval, with Matthew Spriegel and Murtaza Hussain making way for Newman and Collins. For Derbyshire, Tom Lungley, rather than Wagg, was left out to accommodate leg-spinner Mark Lawson, who was making his debut for the county. Wagg, who did not bowl a ball in the draw with Essex at Chelmsford due to a strained hip flexor muscle, was declared fit. It was just as well he was for he will have few days as memorable as yesterday, which saw him take a career best 6-35.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors had slumped to 62-6 by lunch, with Wagg taking 5-24 off ten overs - 5-14 ignoring the five no-balls he sent down during the morning session. Michael Brown was first to go, departing to a catch at first slip off the fourteenth delivery of the day, which leapt at him. Two overs later, Wagg had Laurie Evans snapped up at second slip off a loose drive. 19-2 became 32-4 when Usman Afzaal lost his off bail to the left-arm seamer in the eleventh over and Scott Newman was taken at third slip in the thirteenth after being squared up. When Wagg returned for a second spell just before the break he got one to arc in late to Jordan, though not before James Benning had fallen to a catch at point off the bowling of Smith, who started with three maidens.

Only Batty and Chris Schofield put up any real resistance. Batty made a dogged 36 off 104 balls before being adjudged leg before to Wagg in the 48th over. Nel lost his off stump in the next and the returning Schofield - who had to retire hurt after taking a blow to the groin - was lbw to Jonathan Clare on the back foot in the 50th. Smith wrapped things up, picking up career best figures of 3-18, when he had Collins caught behind for one.

After tea was taken the hosts slumped to 88-7 in twenty-eight overs. Garry Park fell to a catch at second slip off Dernbach. Stuart Law was undone by a ball from Nel that got big on him - caught behind for his first ever duck against Surrey. Steve Stubbings, driving tentatively at Collins, was caught behind. But then Redfern and Wavell Hinds combined for a run-a-minute fourth wicket stand worth 47.

It was ended when Jordan had Hinds leg before. Collins then picked up three wickets in the space of 12 balls, starting with the scalp of Redfern. David Pipe was lbw to an inswinging yorker and Clare lost off stump to one that kept low.

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