Thanks to a superb 124 from Chesney Hughes, Derbyshire overcame a shaky start to take full advantage of a weakened Surrey attack to finish day one at the county ground on 357-7.

Rory Hamilton-Brown gambled on a pitch freshened up by an early morning shower and stuck his hosts in. Tim Linley duly reduced Derbyshire to 16-2 when he had Wayne Madsen caught at gully off a leading edge, in the second over, and scooped up a return catch, inches off the ground, to see the back of Martin Guptill in the fourth; though not before the New Zealander had hooked Jade Dernbach for six.

Linley struck again in the last over before lunch, when he trapped Wes Durston leg before, to pick up his fiftieth first-class scalp. But, in the meantime, Hughes and Durston had put on 91 in 25 overs; during which a number of deliveries were despatched the rope at cover.

With Chris Tremlett on international duty, plus Yasir Arafat and Stuart Meaker sidelined by hamstring injuries, the visitors have turned to Chris Jordan and Tom Jewell for this match. Sadly, neither suggested they have gleaned much from Martin Bicknell, Surrey's bowling coach.

Shortly after lunch, Hughes progressed to his half-century, off 104 balls, with an off driven four off Dernbach - his ninth boundary of the day. With runs flowing from shots square of the wicket, Hughes, in partnership with fellow southpaw Dan Redfern, added 144 in 39 overs for the hosts' fourth wicket.

Derbyshire's first batting point arrived in the 50th over. Redfern moved to his fifty, which came off 102 balls, by clipping Jewell through backward point off the front foot for two runs. Hughes went to 99 courtesy of four overthrows. His first hundred of the season was 179 deliveries in the making and included twelve fours.

Shortly before tea, which was taken with Derbyshire on 237-3, Hughes lifted Gareth Batty over long-off and into the car park for a maximum. Four overs after the interval, however, Redfern was adjudged to be lbw, after attempting to work Batty through mid-wicket.

Hughes continued to cover and off-drive Jewell with ease. But, in the 75th over, the stocky Anguillan got a pull all wrong and was caught at mid-on to become Jewell's tenth wicket in first-class cricket. Hughes's 124, which had come off 210 balls, included 15 fours, a five and a six.

Greg Smith looked as though he would also cash in, particularly when he on drove Jewell for four. But, in the 84th over, Smith, driving forcefully, was held by Batty, diving away to his right at first slip, to hand Linley a fourth success.

Two overs later, Jonathan Clare chased a wide half volley from Dernbach to give Steven Davies his first catch of the day behind the stumps. But Jordan, who finished with figures of 10-0-72-0, came in for further punishment as Luke Sutton and Steffan Jones put on an unbeaten fifty in less than ten overs for the eighth wicket to close out a highly productive day for Derbyshire.

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