County Championship: Gloucestershire on top against Derbyshire

All-rounder Higgins was the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers

All-rounder Ryan Higgins took 5-54 as Gloucestershire had the better of day one against Derbyshire.

On-loan seamer Josh Shaw also chipped in with three wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 200.

Alex Hughes and Fynn Hudson-Prentice (38) put on 55 for the hosts before Higgins rounded off his five-for by bowling Hughes for 39.

The visitors ended on 46-2, losing James Bracey (5) and Gareth Roderick (0).

Glos slipped from 23-0 to 24-2 as Bracey edged behind off the bowing of Luis Reece for 5 and Roderick was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a duck, but Chris Dent (20 not out) and Miles Hammond (16 not out) steadied the ship.

The visitors, who are pushing for promotion to Division One, may feel they should have restricted Derbyshire further, but they were frustrated by a final wicket partnership of 36 between the aggressive Logan van Beek (34 not out) and the stubborn Rampaul (5).

Derbyshire batsman Alex Hughes told BBC Radio Derby:

"I got a fair bit of luck early in my innings, which you sometimes need here. But to fight our way to 200- we're not ecstatic with it, but we're in the game.

"We bat deep, so one partnership, which me and Fynn [Hudson-Prentice] put on today, can really get you into the game. I think it's pretty even-stevens. It was nice to get a couple of quick wickets, and it's about putting the ball in the right areas tomorrow.

"It's been a tough season for me, so I'm very pleased to get back into the side and contribute."