YOUNG Surrey seamer Tom Curran tore through Derbyshire as they were bowled out for 153 after winning the toss on the opening morning of their LV County Championship match at the 3aaa County Ground.
Curran, the 19-year-old son of former Zimbabwe player Kevin Curran, finished with a career-best 5-51 in only his sixth first-class appearance as Derbyshire lost their last seven wickets for 53 in 77 balls.
Derbyshire struck with the second ball of the Surrey innings but that was their last success of the day as bad light ended play at 44-1.
Chris Tremlett made it a very awkward first hour for Derbyshire, who managed only seven runs in the opening eight overs. They got through that but first change Curran made the breakthrough in the 15th over.
Stephen Moore was lbw to the young seamer for 11 at 26-1 and left the field limping. There was another wicket for Curran in his next over as Wayne Madsen got a rising delivery that he could only nick through to the wicketkeeper to make it 28-2.
Paul Borrington started solidly but was out for 17 when he pulled a poor ball from Zafar Ansari to midwicket at 66-3.
Marcus North responded positively but when he was caught behind to Jade Dernbach for 44 at 100-4, the rot set in.
Dernbach took the wickets of Alex Hughes (0) and Scott Elstone (15) to give him three in eight balls. David Wainwright went for nought and Tony Palladino for five, both to Curran, before Gareth Cross' mistimed pull at Tremlett ended his innings on 27.
Curran completed the job by having Tom Taylor caught at fourth slip for 12.
Mark Footitt had Rory Burns lbw with his second ball but Hashim Amla (25) and Ansari (15) saw the day through with no further loss.
