Leicestershire 528
Derbyshire 340 and 203-3 (Godleman 100*, Critchley 59*, Wright 3-36)
Match drawn
A first four-day century of the season for Billy Godleman made him our most prolific centurion of the year, with two. An innings not without alarms and half chances, but the skipper knuckled down and did what he had to do, reaching his fine century, at which point it was handshakes all round.
He was aided and abetted by Matt Critchley, whose own unbeaten knock took him to 860 runs for the season and within touching distance of the thousand - run landmark for the first time, with two games and potentially four innings left. He is really the only batsman who can be proud of his season efforts and it would be good to see him get there.
It was unrealistic to expect our last two wickets to save the follow on, but Tom Wood played a poor shot to get out early, while Leus du Plooy continued his four-day struggles. He is a far better player than an average of 21 suggests, but must come back strong next year.
Madsen got a good ball and edged to slip, but he too will be disappointed with an albeit truncated season and a highest, so far, of 76.
Two games to go. Hopefully we can come up with something to go into the winter with a suggestion of promise.
The cricket played second fiddle to off-field events, however.
More on that later.
Comment from day 1 is prescient - If Leicestershire don't win, it'll be down to Evans, that knock was painfully slow, on that pitch to score at under a run an over is poor. He should have been walking off with 120-130 to his name. They didn't attack the bowling, when the most expensive bowler is going at less than 3.5 it shows a lack of intent which some early wickets tomorrow could make todays effort look pedestrian (unlikely I know). If they had scored at a better run rate would they have had the time to force a win, guess we'll never know
ReplyDeleteGood effort to save this game from a perilous position yesterday morning. Guest and Dal were superb - both chanceless centuries. Hopefully they can draw on this performance going forward.
ReplyDeleteBilly with a characteristic effort today - to be truthful once Chris Wright was worn out, Leicestershire didn't have a lot.
It looks like a pitch created to help batsman and avoid defeat and if they get confidence from this game then so much the better. But being realistic pitches like this are not helping the red ball game. There probably would not have been a result if the game continued all day tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWell played, Derbyshire. A gutsy, professional effort.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we would have scored 528 if we had batted first? I don't think so!
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