Chris Benham marked his championship debut with a half century to put promoted Hampshire on top against Derbyshire at the County Ground.

The visitors were struggling on a slow pitch at 196 for five until the 21-year-old came to the crease and added 91 with Greg Lamb, who was making also making his championship debut.

The former Loughborough UCCE student, left, scored his maiden first-class fifty from 111 balls to guide Hants to 287 for five when bad light ended play early.

Derbyshire's bowlers and fielders performed well on a chilly, windy day with wicketkeeper Lee Goddard taking three catches on his championship debut. The 21-year-old was in the side for skipper Luke Sutton, whose girlfriend Nia Walters died in a car crash on Saturday.

Both teams and umpires observed a minute silence in her memory before the start of play and the players also wore black armbands.

Hampshire, led by Shaun Udal in the absence of Shane Warne who has returned to Australia, won the toss the batted but discovered it was hard going.

Both Michael Brown and Jimmy Adams struggled to time the ball and the score had only reached 56 in the 25th over when Adams was caught behind off Graeme Welch.

At lunch, Brown had made 31 from 35 overs to give his side a solid platform - but Derbyshire fought back.

John Crawley went to the fifth ball of the session, taken well at second slip by Steve Stubbings off a ball from Paul Havell that lifted.

Brown finally reached his 50 after 174 minutes and although he pulled Mohammed Sheikh for a six, he could not find another gear.

He made only two scoring strokes from 22 balls after celebrating his half century and was beaten by Sheikh who found some movement to have him caught behind for 57.

That was the second success for Derbyshire in the space of three balls after Simon Katich edged Welch into Goddard's gloves in the previous over. But Benham settled in quickly, pulling and driving Sheikh for successive fours, although Derbyshire struck again before tea.

After Nic Pothas had gone cheaply, Benham had a narrow escape on 49 when Havell almost took a full length catch in the deep.

It was Benham's sixth four and his 50 had come from 111 balls which was an impressive effort by an inexperienced player.

When the batsmen accepted the offer of the light with just under 12 overs remaining, Benham was on 64 while Lamb was six short of a half century.