PACEMAN Alamgir Sheriyar gave Worcestershire a great start to their crucial Frizzell County Championship Division Two clash with Derbyshire at Derby today.

He grabbed three wickets in his first two overs to leave the home side, who won the toss and elected to bat, reeling at 7-3 after five overs.

Opener Andrew Gait was the first to fall for a duck when he edged a delivery to wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes.

In Sheriyar's next over skipper Michael Di Venuto was caught by Matthew Rawnsley for three, and next ball new batsman James Pyemont was trapped lbw.

Sheriyar's figures at that stage stood on 3-5.

The County made one change from the side that drew with Nottinghamshire in a rain-hit contest at Kidderminster, Rawnsley being drafted in a second spinner in place of opening batsman Stephen Peters.

Derbyshire: Gait, Di Venuto, Bassano, Selwood, Pyemont, Sutton, Welch, Lungley, Ali, Dean, Wharton.

Worcestershire: Singh, Rawnsley, Hick, Smith, Solanki, Lee, Batty, Kabir Ali, Rhodes, Mason, Sheriyar.