Katich at the double

Simon Katich © Getty Images

Simon Katich became the latest batsman to fill his boots at Taunton as Derbyshire ran up 448 for four on the opening day of the LV County Championship Division Two match against Somerset.

The left-hander continued his impressive start to the season by hitting an unbeaten 220 off 318 balls, with two sixes and 32 fours.

There was also a century for fellow Australian Ian Harvey (123 not out), while Steve Stubbings contributed 58.

Andrew Caddick took two wickets in the opening over of the match without a run on the board, but from then on it was an all too familiar tale for the Somerset bowlers.

The opening championship game at Taunton produced 1,650 runs for the loss of only 13 wickets and the combination of glorious sunshine and a true pitch again ensured bat would dominate over ball.

It did not look that way when Caddick removed Phil Weston and Chris Taylor with the second and sixth deliveries of the match respectively after Katich had won the toss and elected to bat.

Both fell leg before, Taylor shouldering arms, and the Derbyshire captain found himself coming out at nought for two.

With the score on 28 Somerset suffered from the first of two costly dropped slip catches as skipper Justin Langer spilled Stubbings, on seven, at second slip off Charl Willoughby.

Caddick finished an initial 10-over spell with figures 2-43, but there were no more alarms for the batsmen before lunch.

Stubbings, who had reached his half-century off 95 balls, with eight fours, fell after the interval, caught behind by Somerset’s new wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter off the bowling off another enthusiastic new recruit, Mark Turner.

Katich went on to a chanceless century, hitting 16 fours from 167 deliveries, having made 50 and 88 not out in the opening championship fixture against Essex at Chelmsford, plus 81 against Durham in the Friends Provident Trophy.

Hassan Adnan was run out by James Hildreth responding to Katich’s call for a quick single to cover, but Harvey was dropped on four by Marcus Trescothick at first slip off Caddick.

That proved an even more expensive miss than Langer’s as Harvey joined in the run feast, striking 19 fours in a 107-ball century.

Katich gave a tough chance to Hildreth at cover on 175, but otherwise looked in complete control as he brought up his double ton off 298 balls.

By the close he was just eight short of his highest first-class score.