Matthew Hoggard led the way by grabbing three early wickets against Derbyshire as Yorkshire made a rousing start to their PPP Championship season at cool and grey Headingley today.

Skipper David Byas's decision to bowl first on winning the toss was fully justified as the burly Hoggard captured three wickets in the space of eight balls and with Ryan Sidebottom and Gavin Hamilton also chipping in, Derbyshire were 106 for five after 23 overs.

The only Yorkshire paceman not to have a satisfying morning was their England strike bowler, Darren Gough, who was roughly treated by Australian Michael Di Venuto and he was withdrawn from the attack after six overs with the new ball had cost him 39 runs.

Wicketkeeper Karl Krikken took over the captaincy for Derbyshire in the absence of Dominic Cork, who has gashed his knee, and Yorkshire were without Chris Silverwood (sore heel) and Anthony McGrath who is still recovering from keyhole surgery on his knee.

The murky light was just about playable when left-handed openers Matthew Dowman and Huddersfield-born Stephen Stubbings came to the crease but the aggressive Hoggard made sure they did not hang about for long.

In his second over, Stubbings shouldered arms and was comprehensively bowled without scoring and Dowman touched a ball which left him to give Richard Blakey a catch.

Hoggard continued his destructive spell by dismissing Steve Titchard lbw to make Derbyshire 17 for three but Vi Venuto laid into Gough with two boundaries off the backfoot before hooking him for four and cutting him for six to raise the 50 in the 11th over.

Former Northants' batsman Rob Bailey, who scored a championship century on his first appearance for Derbyshire last week, began confidently but when Sidebottom replaced Gough he nipped one back and took out Bailey's off-stump.

Hoggard was rested with the outstanding figures of three for 22 in seven overs and Hamilton soon made his mark by flattening Matthew Cassar's off-stump with a ball which kept low.

Di Venuto picked up Hamilton and struck him for a well timed six and a cut to the boundary off Sidebottom brought him his 50 off 52 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Craig White came on at 105 for five and Di Venuto (55) edged his first ball into the slips where it was put down by Byas as he dived to his left.

PPP healthcare County Championship Division One

Yorkshire v Derbyshire

at Headingley - Yorkshire won the toss

Derbyshire 1st Innings

Dowman c Blakey b Hoggard 7

Stubbings b Hoggard 0

Di Venuto not out 56

Titchard lbw b Hoggard 4

Bailey b Sidebottom 14

Cassar b Hamilton 9

Krikken not out 5

Extras 11

Total 5 wkts (26.3 overs) 118

Fall: 1-6, 2-13, 3-17, 4-66, 5-79

Latest scores, PPP healthcare County Championship (day 1 of 4), Division One, Riverside: Durham 234 v Surrey 100-9 (54.3 overs), Old Trafford: Lancashire v Leicestershire 92-3 (28 overs), Southampton: Hampshire 73-3 (28 overs) v Somerset.

Division Two, Edgbaston: Warwickshire 89-0 (23 overs) v Glamorgan, Lord's: Middlesex 71-1 (27 overs) v Northamptonshire, Chelmsford: Essex 114-1 (27.1 overs) v Nottinghamshire.

Vodafone Challenge (day 1 of 4), Canterbury: Kent v Zimbabwe 32-2 (12 overs).

Other match (day 1 of 3), Bristol: Gloucestershire 84-0 (21.1) v Oxford Universities.