Glamorgan 168 and 39-0
Derbyshire 429 (Dal 94, Came 84, Madsen 70, Lloyd 44, Crane 3-43, Kellaway 3-59)
Derbyshire lead by 222 runs
There looks to be a fair amount of rain around over the next two days and it might be that we rue the opportunity not to have a few more overs tonight. The last wicket stand between Anij Dal and Pat Brown added useful runs to an already substantial lead, but also ate up time that might be crucial later in the game.
We will see, but credit to the home side for a good batting display today. Dal was excellent and in this form he is delightful to watch. His batting is full of wristy goodness and his stroke play, especially off his pads today was a joy to watch. Earlier, Madsen and Lloyd both batted well, but both will have been disappointed to give it away with loose strokes after doing all the hard work. Meanwhile Came looked set for a century, before being caught and bowled at the second attempt by Kellaway, who ended up with three wickets.
A word about Nye Donald. I love watching him bat, but I also wish he would appreciate that not every innings has to be approached as if a T20. His dismissal was disappointing, even if it took a terrific catch of anticipation and reflex by Cooke to take it, far down the leg side. He doesn't need to temper his natural game too much, just appreciate that in four-day cricket defensive strokes are perfectly acceptable.
Chappell later confirmed his credentials as a genuine all-rounder and the lead was a healthy one by the time Dal holed out in the deep, attempting to reach what would have been a deserved century.
Glamorgan's bowlers toiled away and Leonard, on loan from Somerset, ran in hard and troubled the batters with his pace, even if he overdid the short stuff at times. I thought Crane was underbowled but they stayed focused in the field.
Chappell will again lead Derbyshire's efforts tomorrow, but Jack Morley will have a key role to play on a pitch that has so far offered gentle turn, with six wickets falling to spin in the home innings. There could have been an early wicket, but Donald put down a fairly routine chance offered by Root, which hopefully won't came back to bite..
In two days time we might be celebrating that rare beast of a home win in 4-day cricket.
We must hope that the weather doesn't ruin the party, any more than the Glamorgan batters.
They won't make it easy, that's for sure.
Excellent two days of cricket from Derbyshire. When was the last time we had the upper hand on consecutive days? Good contribution from most of the batters but especially Anuj Dal who offers a great deal to the side when in this sort of form. As already stated, Nye Donald does frustrate when he cannot seem to change out of one day mode.
ReplyDeleteHope the weather doesn’t impact on the chances of winning but whatever the outcome we should take heart from the performance so far.
Nudger
Nuj has been really good since his return. Zak has also been having a really good season. It's a shame the overseas recruitment was not better , as that could have made the difference in the one day cup , and maybe even the Blast. Hopefully the weather holds off tomorrow and Sunday.
Delete"wristy goodness" is nice. And yes, the T20-led tendency to attack when attack might not be the wisest option needs to be addressed. Are we losing the ability to read the long-form game? Great couple of days though. Weve looked like summat.
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm not sure that before the match started many of us were expecting us to be in this position after 2 days. I'm sure that this is the first time this year (and probably for much longer) that we have maxed out on bonus points.
ReplyDeleteI know that it is entirely possible that Root and Kellaway will both score unbeaten double centuries tomorrow, and Glamorgan win at a canter on Sunday, but realistically we should win comfortably from here if the weather doesn't intervene and we can start the climb towards mid table respectability!
I really enjoyed yesterday. It was played hard, and had plenty of interest. Wayne worked so hard then threw it away, which was strange for someone of his vast experience. Nye is clearly a rare talent and left us wanting more, and Anuj played such a thoughtful innings for the team. I desperately wish he had reached a well-deserved century, but time was pressing. Watching Kellaway and Crane bowl was joyful. Overall, I really enjoy visiting Derby. They may well be bottom of the league but are by no means a poor team. It wold be nice if they could add Morley to the squad for next season.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sean. I think Morley coming is unlikely, unless on loan again. He signed a new deal at Lancs to the end of 2026 so they obviously rate him. But they also have several SLA bowlers and they can't all play!
DeleteThanks for the info on Morley. I can't see him getting too much play for Lancs, so it might be worth a polite enquiry for next season! When might we know who is retained for next season, or who we might lose?
DeleteI guess it depends If they sign another spinner from overseas, as they did this year. As for contracts, I dare say some have been offered and it is down to the player, others they will announce at the end of the season. Realistically, you wouldn't announce the non-retention of players who still needed to play until the end of the summer..
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