DERBY - Australia's Pat Cummins marked his return to first-class cricket after nearly two years out with a wicket against Derbyshire on the second day of the three-day tour match at Derby on Friday. But he bowled just six overs in Friday's morning session before rain meant no play was possible after lunch.
Derbyshire were 81 for two in reply to Australia's first innings 413 for nine declared -- a deficit of 332 runs -- when the umpires abandoned play for the day at 3:00pm local time (1400 GMT). Wayne Madsen, the Derbyshire captain, was 14 not out and Scott Elstone 13 not out. Australia wicket-keeper Peter Nevill's prospects of retaining his place for next week's third Test against England at Edgbaston appeared to increase after he was given the gloves against Derbyshire. Nevill took seven catches on his debut and made a quick 45 in his only innings as Australia thrashed England by 405 runs in the second Test at Lord's last week to level the five-match Ashes series at 1-1. First-choice gloveman Brad Haddin didn't play at Lord's after withdrawing for "family reasons". Australia played both keepers against Derbyshire.
But it was Nevill, Haddin's deputy at New South Wales, who took the gloves on Friday with Haddin in the outfield. The 22-year-old Cummins was called up late into the squad after Ryan Harris's injury-induced retirement on the eve of Australia's 169-run first Test defeat in Cardiff. Cummins had been sidelined from first-class cricket with back and foot problems since playing for Australia A against South Africa A in July and August 2013.
But the New South Wales fast bowler, who took seven wickets in his lone Test against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2011, looked lively in a spell of one for 20 in six overs against Derbyshire.
Cummins ended a composed opening stand of 49 by the Second Division side when he had New Zealand's Hamish Rutherford caught behind by Nevill for 14. Derbyshire's 49 for one become 55 for two when all-rounder Shane Watson, dropped for the second Test in favour of Mitchell Marsh, induced a top edge from Ben Slater (20) which was caught by a back-pedalling Adam Voges at first slip.
However, with Australia resting all their frontline bowlers, no member of the tourists' attack at Derby was set to play at Edgbaston. Australia captain Michael Clarke declared before play resumed Friday. Cummins was 21 not out after openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh had both retired out on 101.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS:
(OVERNIGHT: 413-9):
D Warner retired out 101
S Marsh retired out 101
M Clarke c Knight b Davis 16
A Voges lbw b Davis 1
M Marsh c Hosein b White 53
P Nevill c Elstone b Davis 1
S Watson c Hosein b White 61
B Haddin b Palladino 32
P Siddle run out 2
P Cummins not out 21
F Ahmed not out 4
EXTRAS: (b4, lb4, w1, nb11) 20
TOTAL: (9 wkts dec, 90 overs) 413
FOW: 1-154, 2-195, 3-197, 4-275, 5-280, 6-302, 7-368, 8-385, 9-391
BOWLING: Palladino 21-4-83-1 (5nb); White 19-3-85-2 (1nb, 1w); Clare 17-0-64-0 (2nb); Davis 15-2-63-3 (2nb); Elstone 6-0-35-0; Wainwright 10-1-54-0 (1nb); Knight 2-0-21-0
DERBYSHIRE 1ST INNINGS:
B Slater c Voges b Watson 20
H Rutherford c Nevill b Cummins 14
W Madsen not out 14
S Elstone not out 13
EXTRAS: (b4, lb15, nb1) 20
TOTAL: (2 wkts, 29 overs) 81
FOW: 1-49, 2-55
BOWLING: Siddle 6-4-8-0 (1nb); Cummins 6-1-20-1; M Marsh 7-2-16-0; Watson 5-2-5-1; Ahmed 5-1-13-0
TOSS: Australia
UMPIRES: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Tom Lungley