Northamptonshire v Derbyshire day 3

Captain Fantastic and the Poynton cowboy...

At the risk of waxing overly lyrical about Wayne Madsen and Tom Poynton tonight, that was quite, quite brilliant. Heartfelt congratulations go to the two of them for one of the more extraordinary partnerships in the history of Derbyshire County Cricket Club.

Indeed, tomorrow, Messrs Madsen and Poynton can move from the realms of the extraordinary to the immortal. Twenty-five runs more would see them overtake the longest-lived partnership in cricket history, that of our own John Chapman and Arnold Warren against Warwickshire at Blackwell in 1910. Indeed, I would hazard a guess that should they break the record it may well stand for an equally long period. It is quite frankly impossible to comprehend many number tens batting with the composure that young Tom Poynton showed this afternoon, nor having the opportunity and ability to bat with someone like Wayne Madsen (left) at the other end for seventy-one overs.

At the start of this season I wrote that it was far more important for Poynton to show he had what it takes to be a first-class cricketer behind the stumps. He has done that, maintaining a very high standard yet getting relatively few opportunities to bat - today was only his twelfth championship innings of the summer. A brisk 50 at Chelmsford helped to turn that game, but Poynton showed last year in the Seconds that he could play pugnacious innings and I know he has worked hard on his batting with Dave Houghton this summer, the pay-off coming today. A challenge from Richard Johnson has seen him respond in the very best manner and I am sure that his parents, often at the ground, will be even more proud of him than ever tonight and rightly so. Extraordinary is just about the right word.

As for the skipper, it is hard to do justice to an innings played with either cracked or badly bruised ribs. Whichever it is, moving and breathing, let alone batting all day, cannot have been easy for Wayne Madsen, however many injections and pain-killers he took and there are few words to sum up his efforts today. Like Poynton (left) he left a personal best way behind and, as he has done for much of the summer, he led from the front. It would have been easy to see most Derbyshire teams of recent vintage capitulate from their overnight score, yet Madsen took guard this morning and set his stall out to bat and bat. It was an innings of bravery and skill and one can have nothing but admiration for an excellent cricketer and outstanding man.

Of course, irrespective of any runs he scores, Madsen has made a huge contribution to Derbyshire's success this season with his leadership of a team that really is a team. Many's the time when getting down to nine, ten, jack at Derbyshire saw the roller getting started up. With someone of the ability of Tim Groenewald at number eleven, it is fair to say that Derbyshire don't really have a tail. That ability and a fighting spirit coming from the strongest team ethic I have ever seen in a Derbyshire eleven is overcoming some top order fallibilities and taking us to the brink of promotion.

While I hate to say "I told you so", I did just that last night. There are a few contrite comments below last night's piece but I had little doubt that we would avoid the follow on and make 300. I have to admit, however, that if you'd told me we would go from 253-8 to 512-8 I might not have believed you...

Where does that leave the game? Well, we ain't going to lose it, that's for sure. Madsen and Poynton have to bat on tomorrow and I guess the aim is to get 150 ahead then put Northamptonshire under pressure. I find it hard to believe we can win this one, but even three points for the draw look like being more than our nearest rivals Hampshire will get. With six wickets left, they still need 364 to beat Leicestershire. Sounds like they need a Madsen and Poynton job to me...

Those likely three points will take Derbyshire 17 points clear of Hampshire with a game in hand and thirty clear of Yorkshire in third. While Kent could still throw a spanner in the works when we play down there and Essex will not be pushovers at the County Ground, you'd have to say that it is increasingly looking like our year.

If you're not excited by today and by the Championship table tonight, I'd suggest a trip to the doctor.

Wow. Just, wow...