County Championship Division Two roundup: Leicestershire on top in must-win match

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day one of the 15th round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches in 2023

Derby (day one of four): Derbyshire, Sussex

Derbyshire and Sussex were frustrated by rain which prevented any play on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Derby.

No play was possible before lunch and after further showers the umpires took the inevitable decision after an inspection at 2.20pm.

Sussex came into the match under a different sort of cloud after they were docked 12 points for receiving a fourth fixed penalty in the season which also resulted in a one game suspension for captain Cheteshwar Pujara.

The penalty has effectively ended their hopes of overhauling Worcestershire to take the second promotion place in Division Two.

Derbyshire will be hoping conditions improve to give them a chance of ending an unenviable record in the county championship at Derby. They have not won a first-class game at their Incora Ground headquarters since September 2019 when they beat Sussex inside three days.

No play was possible at Derby [George Wood/Getty Images]

Worcester (day one of four): Worcestershire 104-1, Durham

Jake Libby completed 1,000 first class runs for the second time in three seasons as Worcestershire made an encouraging start to their top-two County Championship encounter with leaders Durham on a truncated day at New Road.

The opener brought up his personal milestone with a single off Durham's new signing, Sri Lankan seamer Vishwa Fernando.

Libby and Gareth Roderick put on 97 when finally got underway at 3.45pm with a possible 36 overs remaining.

Conditions had looked ideal for bowling after Durham captain Scott Borthwick won the toss.

But his bowlers did not find the right length on a consistent basis and Roderick had time to complete a half-century before he was dismissed by Bas de Leede shortly before bad light halted play.

Jake Libby passed 1,000 first-class runs for the second time in three seasons [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]

Leicester (day one of four): Yorkshire 155-9, Leicestershire

In a match they must win if they are to have a realistic chance of adding promotion to their One-Day Cup success, Leicestershire finished a shortened first day in a strong position in their County Championship match against Yorkshire.

Will Davis finished with 4 for 28, Tom Scriven and Scott Currie with two wickets each as Yorkshire stumbled to 155 for 9 in 38.5 overs after a start delayed until 2.20pm because of rain and an end brought forward by about an hour by bad light. 

This is the penultimate round of the Division Two season, which started with Leicestershire 21 points behind second-placed Worcestershire in the race to accompany Durham into the top flight next season.