TIM Groenewald took the first hat-trick of his career to give Derbyshire County Cricket Club the perfect start to their opening LV County Championship match of the season.
They bowled Essex out for 94 by the 10th over after lunch with five wickets each for Groenewald and Mark Footitt. That came after they lost the toss on the opening morning at Chelmsford.
Derbyshire also found batting difficult to begin with but had moved on to 56-2 at tea.
Derbyshire could hardly have hoped for a better first session as they tried to return to normality following the shock of the death of Keith Poynton in a car accident just over a week ago but it looked as if they might be in for a tougher morning at first.
England captain Alastair Cook looked in superb form from the start and though there were a few plays and misses, batting first appeared to be the right decision at the toss.
But Jaik Mickleburgh was beaten and bowled by Footitt's away movement for seven at 28-1 in the 11th over and Groenewald, held back to first change, got the crucial wicket of Cook in the 16th as he chased one down the leg side and was caught by Richard Johnson for 35 out of 44-2.
The fun really started in the 20th over.
From Groenewald's third ball, Ravi Bopara drove and was caught by Wes Durston at second slip for three. Greg Smith was bowled first ball and then Ben Foakes was lbw to complete the hat-trick and leave Essex in tatters at 54-5.
It was the first Derbyshire hat-trick since Tony Palladino at Leicester in 2012.
Essex were still rocking when Footitt returned to the attack and had Tom Westley caught behind off a loose drive for seven, then Graham Napier was very well caught low down at fourth slip by Stephen Moore for nought at 60-7 in the final over before lunch.
Footitt struck again with his first ball after lunch when David Masters was lbw for nought and James Foster gave it away, stepping across his stumps and being bowled by Groenewald for 13 at 79-4.
Monty Panesar, dropped at slip on five, was last man out, bowled by Footitt after he and Tymal Mills added 20 for the last wicket. Footitt finished with 5-29 and Groenewald 5-44.
There was still plenty in the wicket to get the Derbyshire batsmen's attention but they were unfortunate to lose Billy Godleman in the fifth over for six, given lbw to Masters even though the ball hit him very high, to make it 6-1.
Moore gave Masters a second wicket at 17-3 in the 13th over when he chased one and nicked it through to wicketkeeper Foster but Wayne Madsen, who reached 6,000 career first-class runs when he got to seven, made it to tea on 24 not out and Shivnarine Chanderpaul was with him on 23 not out.
