Derbyshire 216-4 (Madsen 89, Guest 87*)
v Northamptonshire
Having won the toss and inserted the home side, the visitors were vindicated when they reduced Derbyshire to 29-3 inside the first ten overs.
Yet by the close the score had reached 216-4, thanks to a record fourth wicket stand for the fourth wicket against this opponent at Derby, knocking Levi Wright and Bertie Lawton from a record set 118 summers ago (thanks to David Griffin, X).
Of course Wayne Madsen was part of a new record stand of 169, yet again coming to the rescue after Luke Procter and Liam Guthrie found early movement. The maestro is rekindling memories of his last stint as skipper, when the runs flowed from his bat like the finest of wine. Just like wine, Madsen is maturing, as Levi Wright did before him, after the age of forty. He looks solid in defence, is playing delightfully straight, yet showing the timing and placement of his salad days.
A prolific bat in the game's 'Golden Age', Wright played until he was 47. We would take that from Wayne, I think...
With him was Brooke Guest, who remained at the close after the skipper was caught behind. He is thirteen runs away from his eighth first class century for the county, a record only exceeded as Derbyshire wicket-keeper by another hero of the Golden Age, Bill Storer. He made fifteen centuries for the county, a round dozen of them while also keeping in the match (he also bowled handy leg breaks).
It was a good day's work against a keen attack and although rain sadly truncated the day, they will be well satisfied at the close.
If they can push on towards 350-400 tomorrow (assuming the rain relents) then the foundations have been set for another good display.
A winning one? The weather will dictate that, but we have done ourselves no harm with today's efforts.
Chapeau, gentlemen...
I thought Wayne played as well as I've ever seen him today. He left the ball judiciously and punished anything marginally short or off-line, so it was a surprise when he nicked one playing loosely. A perfect straight drive will live long in my memory, as will an exquisite back-cut. Brooke played some handsome strokes too, notably off the back foot through the cover point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a tribute to Levi Wright, that late cut. It was one of his favourite strokes!
DeleteNorthants bowled well. The quicks got a lot of swing too. One of Madsens best ever innings all things considered.
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