Derbyshire 511-8 (Guptill 227, Thakor 83, Slater 56, Godleman 44, Hosein 43 not)
Derbyshire lead by 236 runs
This was one of those days where, in ten years time, the number of people who saw it will have at least quintupled.
When Derbyshire scored 500 in a day against Cambridge MCCU, I qualified my enthusiasm for the feat by reminding everyone that it was not a first-class attack. Well, today we scored 487 runs against one...
It was an astonishing day's batting by Derbyshire, perhaps made all the more so by the fact that Wayne Madsen, Wes Durston and Alex Hughes made three runs between them. All will play a major role as the season progresses, but today was all about Martin Guptill.
To be fair, I should first acknowledge the efforts of his team mates. I am sure he will acknowledge the value of an 88-run and 26 over opening stand by Billy Godleman and Ben Slater, who are showing all the signs of developing into a good pairing. On a day where, despite the scoring rate, the ball nipped around, that meant Guptill came in with the shine off the ball, with a sound base for playing his shots.
At 191-4, after the quick departure of Wayne and Wes, there was a danger that the two first innings may have been close, but those fears were dispelled by a stand of 190 in thirty overs between Guptill and Shiv Thakor. The latter confirmed his batting credentials with an innings that on another day would have earned him the headlines. Five boundaries in one over, as he and his partner accelerated after tea, showed that he will be a major factor for us, allied to his ever-improving bowling.
Again, when he and Alex Hughes went in quick succession, the end could have come quickly, but Harvey Hosein enjoyed the best seat in the house as Guptill endangered neighbouring properties with trademark booming drives and slog-sweeps. The young wicket-keeper didn't score in a fifty partnership, but later played some fine strokes himself to underline his rich potential.
But what can you say about Martin Guptill? 227 runs, including a hundred in each of the last two sessions. 29 fours and 11 sixes as he hit 182 runs in boundaries and reduced the fielding side to the role of curious bystanders. There are few better sights in cricket when he is in full flow and I am sure I am not alone in wishing I had been there to see it. To think we still have Amla and Dilshan to come...
We scored 241 runs after tea today...AFTER TEA. 236 runs ahead with two days to go, the game is there for taking, although greater second innings resistance and the intervention of the weather cannot be discounted.
What a display. It will have made a few people sit up. a Derbyshire side playing such aggressive, purposeful cricket and taking a game by the scruff of the neck. They should sell a few more tickets down at the 3aaa County Ground after this one.
Magnificent. There is simply no other way to describe it. Can you imagine the Gup with us for a summer?
We'd have Nottinghamshire fans taking out memberships...
Guptill really is a class act isn't he?, and I just wish we had him here all summer. Great support today from Thakor, Slater, Godleman and the ever impressive Hosein, who at Eighteen years old has the world at his feet.
ReplyDeleteWhat a day's cricket, now let's get straight in to them in their second innings. Watch the weather intervene here!.
Amazing day really. Congrats all round, especially to Guptill, but to several others too.
ReplyDeletePeakfan, do you think Derbyshire decided to play Guptill at 3 rather than as an opener because they thought the best batsmen in the squad included two other openers? Or because they didn't want Guptill opening and so built the team around him at 3? Or perhaps because Amla and Dilshan won't open so they wanted to get a regular opening pair set? I had thought that one option for the team would be to drop say Godleman, have Guptill open, and play Chesney down the order. Although after today's performance nobody is going to be making any unforced changes to the batting lineup for a while!
Astonishing cricket. What an innings - and a classic example of how to make the most of a slice of luck; that's what makes him a star batsman. I wonder how many times a Derbyshire batsman has scored eleven or more sixes in a first class innings?
ReplyDeleteOliver, I think that Welch chose his best batsmen and slotted in Martin at three, but if there was a hint of risk in that it has worked nicely!
ReplyDeleteMartin, I am no statistician but have no recollection of anyone hitting eleven sixes in an innings for us, or even approaching it. He's the cleanest hitter of a ball I have seen in almost fifty years of watching the club.
Guptil's knocks forced us into a great position in the promotion year but since then he has become mentally and physically stronger, to the point where he is now a much -feared genuinely world-class batsman. Fantastic- thanks Martin for that brilliant display. I hope we declare overnight and stick them in again because it would be disappointing in the extreme to be denied a win by the forthcoming bad weather.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at all the statistics it takes some believing.I thought yesterday we may take a small lead into day3. Not for a second did I imagine it would be this size. Guptill was on a different planet and the main reason we could win this match before today is out.
ReplyDeleteIt was very satisfying to see Thakor in the runs along with Slater,Godleman and the extremely promising Hosein. It a fantastic day and i,m sure those who witnessed it will never forget it. A once in a lifetime experience.Gloucestershire had a nightmare day in the field and paid a high price for fluffing a number of easy catches.
I believe our leader has done the right thing batting Guptill at 3.I believe Slater was a cast iron certainty to start the season and it would have been very harsh to have omitted Godleman,having clawed his way back into the side. I anticipate this trend will continue with the other oversea players,as and when they arrive. Thus far,all the batsmen apart from Madsen have contributed something to the cause,though i,m sure it will not be long before he gets back in the groove.
I thought we might have had a little bowl before close of play but obviously we decided not to. Madsen may decide to half another half hour batting today,though in honesty I can,t really see the point. The sooner we bowl them out the better,especially with rain knocking on the door tomorrow.
As a Gloucestershire fan, may I congratulate Martin Guptill on one of the great innings. I have been thinking for a while that Derbyshire were good bets to be promoted again this year, ahead of Surrey or Essex, and if he keeps up this form for the duration of his stay they'll certainly have a comfortable cushion to deal with.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that Gloucestershire have a very raw attack with the departure of Will Gidman, and that our batsmen are frustratingly good at getting starts and then throwing away their wickets. It would appear our fielding leaves something to be desired as well. But you still have to play the shots and manage the game correctly to get that kind of score at that pace.
I'm just hoping Hamish Marshall can produce something special, or more likely, that play is abandoned due to an asteroid strike or something tomorrow.
Hi Steve, it's been a while.
ReplyDeleteI actually had the pleasure of seeing this live, we'd been in a cricket tour to Bristol over the weekend, and didn't need to be back at heathrow until the evening.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
David Kuhlwilm