Very few of the nine new faces imported into Derbyshire sides over the past 14 months - a tenth, Nantie Hayward, arrives soon - have been raging successes and Charl Langeveldt, the obvious exception, will not now return after serious shoulder surgery. But Garry Park is proving a fine acquisition.
The South African, whose elder brother, Sean, plays for Cambridgeshire, averaged more than fifty in five championship games for Durham and has passed 40 in all five matches for his second county. His enterprising 76 was the meat of an unfocused Derbyshire effort that went into headlong decline after he top-edged a sweep to the deep.
Mark Cosgrove, the Australia one-day international, claimed three wickets and Robert Croft maintained his usual hold over these opponents, who lost five men in 75 careless minutes either side of tea.
Although Glamorgan included Dean Cosker for the first time this summer in the championship, to give themselves two specialist spinners, it was pace that should have gained more than the one wicket managed in the morning session.
On a pitch of bounce and movement, Chris Rogers and Park were reprieved in the slips where the usually sharp Michael Powell later compounded an uncharacteristically poor day by dropping Wavell Hinds on five. Adam Shantry, who suffered twice, performed well as first change but it took Cosgrove, the fourth bowler, to strike with his sixth ball when Rogers drove rashly at a wide one and was caught behind for 27.
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When on eight, Park sent a chance flashing between first and second slip, neither of whom moved, off the same bowler before adding 73 accomplished runs with Steve Stubbings.
Using his feet delightfully against Croft, who was hit back over his head for six in only the second over after lunch, Park watched Stubbings fall to the off spinner for 43, leg-before playing for turn, and Dan Redfern, cutting, go for 11 but Derbyshire advanced to 191 for three.
Just before tea, however, Park misjudged his attack on Cosker and the collapse set in on the resumption. In 41 balls, Hinds, leg-before for 30 playing no shot, and Greg Smith departed to Cosgrove. Croft then removed Graham Wagg, stumped beautifully, and Tom Lungley for ducks.
Tim Groenewald, in his maiden championship game for Derbyshire, prevented a hat-trick but, 25 minutes later, Jamie Pipe lost middle stump attempting an ambitious, whooshing drive at the new ball before the final pair hung on for the close.
Derbyshire: First Innings
*C J L Rogers c Wallace b Cosgrove 27
S D Stubbings lbw b Croft 43
G T Park c Kruger b Cosker 76
D J Redfern c Powell b Shantry 11
W W Hinds lbw b Cosgrove 30
G M Smith b Cosgrove 12
†D J Pipe b Kruger 22
G G Wagg st Wallace b Croft 0
T Lungley lbw b Croft 0
T D Groenewald not out 10
I D Hunter not out 8
Extras (b 9, lb 11, nb 2) 22
Total (9 wkts, 97 overs) 261
Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-129, 3-150, 4-191, 5-215, 6-222, 7-227, 8-227, 9-245.
Bowling: Harris 17-3-54-0; Kruger 16-4-39-1; Shantry 15-2-37-1; Cosgrove 8-1-30-3; Cosker 12-4-22-1; Croft 29-11-59-3.
Glamorgan: G P Rees, M J Cosgrove, B J Wright, M J Powell, *J W M Dalrymple, A J Shantry, †M A Wallace, J A R Harris, R D B Croft, D A Cosker, G J P Kruger.
Umpires: T E Jesty and D J Millns.