Glamorgan v Derbyshire day four

Derbyshire 450-8 and 234-2 (Reece 119*, Came 57, du Plooy 38*)

Glamorgan 301-5d and 130-6 (Chappell 2-19, Thomson 2-31)

Match drawn

Before going on to the events of the final day, I think it is worthwhile that this post, at least initially, becomes one of appreciation for Luis Reece.

He passed a thousand runs for the summer today, and in the process finished it with the highest average of any player in the club's history who reached a thousand runs in a summer. Oh, and he became the first Derbyshire player to make seven successive scores in excess of 50 - those scores being 54*, 131, 201*, 77, 86, 139, 119*. That's 807 runs in seven innings at an average of 201. Bradman, you say? Nothing but an Australian Luis Reece...

Autumn has come too soon for Luis, who also became the first player EVER to score four centuries in a season against the same opposition. Back in the 1950s, Nottinghamshire bowlers could be heard offering Arnold Hamer money for his wicket when he had got fifty, such was record against them. It might be worthwhile Glamorgan considering something similar next year..

He is a special player and, with the very talented Harry Came, ensures that Derbyshire will go into 2024 with at least an excellent opening pair. They may turn out to be the best business done by Mickey Arthur this winter, even alongside the many other players who will be coming in for next season.

There was a lot of fuss today about the timing of Derbyshire's declaration. I wasn't listening all that closely to the commentary, but the Glamorgan correspondents seem to have felt that we should have bailed out earlier.

I disagree. I accept that we haven't won a championship game all season, but on a pitch where only 15 wickets had fallen in three days, setting 320 in 65/70 overs was only going to see one winner. Yes the ball was turning, but usually slowly and the boundary on one side was very short. 

In declaring 150 runs behind, Glamorgan seemed to want to have something set for them on the last day. Their idea of an appropriate total, however, seems to have differed considerably from that of Derbyshire. As we saw at Hove a few weeks ago, it is easier to control a four-day run chase, with the field set back, no restrictions and no issues with the balls bowled down the legside. So I can see both perspectives, but don't think we wanted to finish on a downer.

I would sooner go into the winter on the back of two encouraging draws, than by giving the final game away in a needless act of charity. What I would say though is that the cautious declaration doesn't really sit with our supposed mantra of playing aggressive cricket, risking defeat in going for a win. I get why they did it today, but perhaps the game plan needs to be revisited ahead of next season. 

For Derbyshire to push for promotion, risks have to be taken. We won't steamroller everybody (but somebody would be nice..) and there are times when the carrot needs well and truly dangled, a loss accepted as a consequence.

Derbyshire bowled well in the second innings, Zak Chappell reaching 50 wickets for the season thanks to a blinding catch by Matt Lamb, which might otherwise have gone through him, while Alex Thomson bowled some controlled off spin and Mitch Wagstaff seemed to baffle the home batters with his leggies. 

But it all ended in a somewhat predictable draw. Which might have happened anyway, even had Derbyshire set a less demanding challenge. 

We will never know, but the last afternoon of the season petered out as the shadows lengthened. Hands were shaken and goodbyes were said for another summer.

I will be back over the weekend at some point with my season review. 

It promises to be a long read...