Wharton and Fernando lead the way as Yorkshire seize control in Chesterfield

The park - usually alive with the hustle and bustle of parents and children, leisurely picnics and relaxed conversation - was sparser than normal and quieter, too.

Only the sporadic choo-choos of Puffin Billy, the miniature train that circles a lake that is home to such wildfowl as tufted duck, gadwall, wigeon and coot, disturbed the silence of the last day of June, a day that felt more like the last day of January.

At least the cricket warmed the cockles of the Yorkshire fans present, a good number, it seemed, in a 1,200 crowd.

After Derbyshire won the toss and chose to bat, a somewhat curious decision given the weather, Yorkshire dismissed them for 76 in 27.4 overs, Vishwa Fernando taking 5-30 in the final game of his overseas deal, and Jordan Thompson 4-31.

It was the third-lowest total against Yorkshire in the Championship this century, the innings spanning two hours, 10 minutes. Only four batsmen reached double figures, pace bowler Zak Chappell top-scoring with 18 from No 9 on a green but by no means gremlin-strewn pitch.

Yorkshire reached 283-5 in response, James Wharton unbeaten on 116 from 125 balls with 19 fours and two sixes, his maiden Championship century. The 23-year-old played handsomely on both sides of the ground; there was a poise and polish about his strokeplay.

By the time he reached three-figures at 6.15pm, the crowd had thinned out to perhaps 200, such was the penetrating cold. Wharton’s previous best was 89 against Worcestershire at Leeds last September; this innings should do him the proverbial power of good.

As they sought their second successive Championship win, Yorkshire showed three changes from the side that beat Gloucestershire at Scarborough, Dan Moriarty preferred to fellow spinner Dom Bess, captain Shan Masood returning from concussion and pace bowler Ben Coad from a back injury; Conor McKerr missed out with a quad strain suffered during the warm-up.

On his first Championship outing since mid-May, Coad, operating from the Pavilion end, struck with his fifth ball back in the opening over when Mitch Wagstaff was lbw to a full-length delivery. After Coad’s burst of 7-4-9-1, Fernando switched ends to replace him in a move that brought five wickets for the Sri Lankan either side of lunch.

Luis Reece was caught low down at first slip by George Hill (no doubt helped by the fact that Hill had just taken delivery of some hand warmers), Wayne Madsen lbw to one that swung back, and then Aneurin Donald lbw first ball.

At the Lake End, Jordan Thompson bowled Brooke Guest through the gate and won an lbw verdict against David Lloyd as Derbyshire lost 3-0 in seven balls to slide to 45-6.

A shower forced the teams from the field at 12.30pm but, after an early lunch, play resumed at 1.30pm as the theme of tumbling wickets continued, 3-0 in seven balls becoming 4-0 in 14 when Fernando had Ross Whiteley brilliantly held at gully by a diving Thompson, low to his right.

Thompson returned wicket-taker when Alex Thomson was caught at third slip by Fin Bean, and Derbyshire slumped to 50-9 when Fernando ripped out Sam Conners’s middle stump with a yorker.

Chappell and Daryn Dupavillon added 26 for the last wicket, the second-highest stand of the innings, Chappell launching its only six when he lofted Thompson into the sightscreen at the Lake End before the bowler had his revenge, Adam Lyth doing the rest at second slip.

As the vast banks of trees that shade this ground added to the gloom, with the spire town gripped by a biting breeze, the old firm of Lyth and Bean solidified Yorkshire’s position. They added 61 inside 13 overs before Bean was lbw to Reece, caught on the crease.

Yorkshire had moved to within four of Derbyshire’s score when Lyth knocked back a return to Reece, and they were five in front at tea, when the annual Derbyshire Past Players’ Day spilled on to the outfield for photographs and much chewing of the fat.

As the likes of Geoff Miller, John Wright and Ole Mortensen looked on, the visitors turned the screw in the evening session.

Masood missed out against his former club, lbw playing to leg, and Hill chased a wide one from Conners and was caught behind.

But after reaching his fifty from 63 balls, Wharton needed only 38 more to get to his hundred, pulling a six off Dupavillon along the way and sending another off Thomson over mid-wicket.

Matty Revis edged a catch behind, Wharton and Jonny Tattersall then combining in a stand of 118 from 122 balls before the sides went off for bad light at 6.50pm with eight overs left.