DARYL Mitchell helped Worcestershire put their one-day woes behind them with a superb century on the opening day of the LV= County Championship Division Two match with Derbyshire at New Road.

In a game where the New Road side were without their leading run-scorer, Moeen Ali is away with the England Lions squad, the Worcestershire batsmen all stood up to be counted as they reached stumps on 376-3.

But it was the County opener who led the way as he battled to his first hundred of the campaign and, along with Phil Jaques, the pair put on Worcestershire’s highest opening stand in nearly three years.

It was Australian Jaques who looked the more likely to get to three figures as he put his dreadful run of five ducks in six innings behind him.

The 31-year-old left-hander understandably made a tentative start to the day before finding his touch.

But as he closed in on his century, Jaques attempted to cut Tom Lungley only to chop the ball onto his stumps as he went for 92 having got through the morning session without any scares.

The opening stand of 167 was Worcestershire’s best since Jaques and Stephen Moore put on 234 against Surrey at New Road in June 2007.

With the Aussie departed, it was left to Mitchell and skipper Vikram Solanki to keep Worcestershire on course for a big first innings total.

The vice-captain played a typically gutsy knock, while Solanki looked fluent before being run out for 42.

Standing at the non-striker’s end, the skipper set off for a single after a forward defensive shot from Mitchell who remained in his crease. Tim Groenewald made the most of the opportunity.

With Worcestershire now 243-2 it nearly became 243-3 as Alexei Kervezee was put down by Garry Park at silly-point off Robin Peterson without scoring.

But the County managed to get to the tea interval without losing any more wickets with Mitchell tantalising close to his century.

That first ton of the campaign came off the third ball after the break as he hit Peterson for four, his century coming 177 balls with 13 fours.

Kervezee went on to record an 85-ball half-century, upper-cutting Steffan Jones for six down to third man but Badsey-born Mitchell fell two short of his 150 as he was bowled by Peterson in the 91st over.

The Dutch international finished the day unbeaten on 66, while debutant James Cameron was unbeaten on two.