EVEN in the context of this increasingly miserable LV County Championship season, the first morning of Derbyshire's match at Bristol was shocking almost beyond belief.

They were bowled out for 44 in their first innings – their lowest total since 1975, when snow at Buxton in June gave birth to a legend.

The story behind this collapse was nowhere near as extreme but, without doubt, the condition of the wicket played a part here too.

From the moment Gloucestershire seamer Jon Lewis sent down the first ball and Chris Rogers, playing to defend it on his leg stump, saw it swing sharply away to miss off stump, it was clear Derbyshire had lost a very important toss.

Less than six overs later, the away side was 9-6 and James Franklin had taken five wickets without conceding a single run. As fine a player as the New Zealand all-rounder is, Sir Richard Hadlee he isn't.

Even from a distance, the pitch was starkly green compared with the used one-day strips nearby and the ball nipped off the moist surface to compound the impact of slight swing through the air.

The result was devastating. Gloucestershire's bowlers exploited the conditions particularly well and Derbyshire's batsmen could not handle them at all.

Were conditions so bad? Would Gloucestershire or any other county side have struggled so horribly?

Derbyshire were horribly exposed but what can be said in their defence was that every one of their first eight batsmen to fall were not playing extravagantly, they were simply trying to not get out.

Only Robin Peterson was able to reach double figures, as he decided attack was the best form of defence, but he too was undone trying to block.

Yet Derbyshire did recover from the wreckage of that first innings. Gloucestershire were bowled out for 156 in their first innings and Derbyshire were able to wipe out their 112-run deficit and carry their second innings through to 127-4, a lead of 15.

It was a most welcome display of grit because, as the pitch dried under the warm sun and batting became a lot easier, they were looking into the face of a far more desperate situation at one stage.

Gloucestershire were quickly 7-2 before lunch and two more wickets straight after the interval left them 30-4.

But Hamish Marshall, Chris Taylor and Steve Snell gradually pulled Gloucestershire level and then clear. They were 132-5 before Graham Wagg took his third wicket by trapping Marshall lbw for 45 and a burst from Steffan Jones finished the innings.

From 149-6, Jones took two wickets with successive balls and had a good shout for lbw for his hat-trick ball.

That was not given but Jones did get the verdict against Gemaal Hussain next ball and ended Snell's stay with the first ball of his next over – four wickets in five balls and he's on a hat-trick again in the second innings.

An opening stand of 58 from Chris Rogers and Wayne Madsen helped Derbyshire make sure they would bowl again.

A mix-up between the two left Rogers run out for 31 and that meant he marked his 33rd birthday by being dismissed twice in a day.

Madsen made a battling 39 and Chesney Hughes was 47 not out at the close but two late wickets diluted the effect of Derbyshire's resistance and it would still be a surprise if the game went into a third day.