Abbas & Allison shine as wickets tumble at New Road
Abbas & Allison shine as wickets tumble at New Road
Thu, September 24, 2026 at 6:18 PM UTC
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Muhammad Abbas has now taken five or more wickets in a first-class innings 59 times
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, New Road, Worcester (day one)
Worcestershire 214: Taylor 39*, Libby 33; Abbas 5-63, Reece 3-34 & 5-0
Derbyshire 88: Madsen 40; Allison 5-22, Taylor 3-27
Worcestershire (3pts) lead Derbyshire (3pts) by 131 runs with 10 wickets standing
Match scorecard
Twenty wickets fell on a dramatic opening day at New Road that saw Worcestershire wrestle the initiative back to dismiss Derbyshire for just 88 on a fast-moving day of County Championship Division Two action.
A superb five-wicket haul from Mohammed Abbas looked to have put the visitors on top as Worcestershire were bowled out for 214.
But a resurgent Pears display, led by Ben Allison (5-22) saw the hosts charge through Derbyshire in just one session, where only Wayne Madsen (40) offered any resistance.
Nightwatchmen Allison and Fateh Singh survived the remaining three overs late on to see Worcestershire finish on 5-0, in front by 131 runs.
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The visitors took the early ascendency when Abbas curtailed Dan Lategan's cameo of 26 in the seventh over of the morning, courtesy of a sharp Martin Andersson catch.
The Pakistan international then snagged a second, removing Rehaan Edavalath for 11, before a plucky stand between Jake Libby and Adam Hose stabilised the hosts.
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Hose made a stubborn 27 before he was trapped lbw by Amit Basra, but from 104-3 at the interval, the visitors blew the middle order away in a clinical first hour of the afternoon the reduce Worcestershire to 139-7.
Matthew Montgomery took an excellent catch at backward point to remove Brett D'Oliveira cheaply off Luis Reece, before the potent Abbas claimed a third with the key wicket of Jake Libby for 33 as the visitors tightened their grip.
The slide continued for the home side when Reece accounted for Matthew Waite (10) when a loose drive offered a catch to Nick Potts at deep extra cover, and by the time the in-form Abbas pinned Henry Cullen leg before for 15, the visitors were well on top.
Tom Taylor (39) offered some lower order resistance for the hosts, but the wicket of Ben Allison to Reece (3-34) left Worcestershire on the verge.
The evergreen Abbas sealed a classy display with the ball when he notched a first five-wicket haul of the season by accounting for Ben Gibbon.
A breezy 25 from 38 balls from number 11 Singh helped the Pears scrape to 214, but Martin Andersson wrapped up proceedings on the stroke of tea.
Tom Taylor needed just three overs to strike at the start of the Derbyshire reply when he benefitted from a superb slip catch from Ben Allison to remove Yousaf bin Naeem, shortly before Allison dismissed Harry Came for 11.
Leading the charge with the new ball, Allison accounted for Montgomery caught behind and trapped Andersson lbw successive overs as his lively opening spell was backed up by Ben Gibbon's dismissal of Reece, as Derbyshire tumbled to 47-5.
Veteran Wayne Madsen offered some stability for the visitors with a defiant 40, but Guest and Basra fell in quick succession as the procession resumed.
Allison nabbed a fourth late on before Derbyshire's skipper saw his resistance broken in the final forays of the day by Taylor as the visitors were skittled for 88.
Abbas saw a chance go begging in the first over of the reply when Allison was dropped by Montgomery at slip, as the hosts reached stumps without loss.
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