Tasmanian left hander Michael DiVenuto's long-term future at state level remains clouded but he gave an indication today that that state of affairs may not cast much of a shadow over his performances at county level this year.

On the opening day of the 2001 English domestic season, DiVenuto hammered a brilliant 127 for Derbyshire at the start of its three-day match against the Bradford/Leeds University Cricket Centre of Excellence (UCCE) in Derby. In overcast conditions, he was uncharacteristically slow to begin - using up nearly thirty deliveries to push his score beyond one - but then rapidly exploded into action, striking eighteen boundaries and a six and powering his way to his century in less than three hours in total. Before finally feathering a delivery from off spinner Andrew Walker (2/37), he was well in control, piloting his team to a stumps scoreline of 9/340 against a Bradford/Leeds UCCE team that is only young and is relatively light on for significant cricketing experience.

DiVenuto, a former one-day international representative of his country, has not yet committed himself to returning to play for his home state in 2001-02 and is reportedly weighing up offers from at least two other states.

Further south, it was not such an auspicious start for DiVenuto's Tasmanian teammate, Daniel Marsh. Marsh, Leicestershire's new overseas signing, was dismissed for a second-ball duck as his team totalled 9/376 before closing and then reducing Loughborough UCCE to a score of 1/33 on the first day of their match at Leicester.

DiVenuto and Marsh were the only two Australians in action as the English programme commenced. Queenslander Martin Love was not among the eleven players who took the field for Durham as it set about humbling Durham UCCE and Jamie Cox, the third Tasmanian involved in county cricket this northern summer, was deprived of his chance for an early season hit-out when the match between Somerset and the Cardiff UCCE was cancelled earlier in the week on account of poor weather.

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