Ben Allison takes five as Derbyshire are bowled out for 88

Twenty wickets fell on a dramatic opening day at New Road that saw Worcestershire wrestle the initiative from 214 all out to dismiss Derbyshire for just 88 on a fast-moving day of Rothesay 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.

A resurgent Pears display, led by Ben Allison's 5 for 22, saw the hosts charge through Derbyshire in just one session, where only Wayne Madsen (40) offered any resistance. Nightwatchers Allison and Fateh Singh survived the remaining three overs late on to see Worcestershire in front by 131 runs.

The visitors took the early ascendency at New Road 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 when he caught the edge of Rehaan Edavalath for 11, before a plucky fifty stand between Jake Libby and Adam Hose stabilised the hosts.

Hose made a stubborn 27 before he was trapped lbw by Amit Basra, but from 104 for 3 at the interval, the visitors blew the Pears' middle order away in a clinical first hour of the afternoon the reduce the hosts to 139 for 7.

Matthew Montgomery took an excellent catch at backward point to remove Brett D'Oliveira cheaply off Lewis 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 for 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 Fateh Singh helped the Pears scrape to 214, but Andersson wrapped up proceedings on the stroke of tea.

Tom Taylor needed just three overs to strike when he benefitted from a superb slip catch from Ben Allison to remove Yousaf bin Naeem, shortly before Allison nicked off Harry Came for 11 as the Pears fought back.

Leading the charge with the new ball, Allison accounted for Montgomery caught behind and trapped Andersson LBW in successive overs as his lively opening spell was backed up by Ben Gibbon's dismissal of Lewis Reece, as Derbyshire tumbled to 47 for 5.

Veteran 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 on five without loss.