Glamorgan v Derbyshire day four

Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 (Kellaway 74, Tickner 3-44)

Derbyshire 350 and 308-9 (Andersson 78, Guest 48, Jewell 44, Lloyd 42, Dal 34, Kellaway 5-101, Leonard 3-66)

Match drawn

One of the best final days of County Championship cricket that you could wish to see ended in a draw at Cardiff, with the last two Derbyshire batters at the crease. 

The morning didn't suggest anything especially exciting and the declaration came at the interval, 338 in 65 overs the target. I didn't really think it was on and said so on social media. It was a higher rate than had been managed throughout the game, the fielding side could put as many back as they wanted, legside wides would not be penalised and the pitch was fairly slow.

Yet at one point Derbyshire looked to be winning it. Lloyd and Jewell batted very well but, like everyone in the match, got out before making the match-defining score - it was one of those pitches. Madsen looked in imperious form before being brilliantly taken at long leg by Gorvin, who was seldom out of the match and at that point it looked like the shutters might go up. 

Yet after tea, Andersson and Guest launched a counter offensive full of brilliant strokeplay. Guest was especially strong on the reverse sweep, while Andersson just looks the business every time he plays. They added 97 runs and looked like they were about to lead a victory charge, when Guest was adjudged leg before. I have to say I was less than convinced and it took the umpire an age, but such is the game. 

Enter Dal and his partnership with Andersson had Derbyshire chasing a run a ball off the last ten. It was stirring stuff and it seemed like the unlikely just might happen. 

Then Kellaway, who batted well earlier, bowled an excellent spell for the home side and extracted increasing turn, got one to 'pop' and Andersson was defeated on the reverse sweep after a magnificent display. With the T20 fast approaching it was a reminder that he opened in that competition for Middlesex last season and to very good effect.. food for thought, perhaps?

Chappell was elevated, presumably to hit, but was bowled first ball by one that turned through a sizeable gate. Thomson then played too early at Leonard, which left the limping Luis Reece to enter proceedings at ten in the order, certainly the best we have had coming in with eight wickets down, I suspect.

Dal used his feet to try to combat Kellaway but was cleverly defeated by his arm ball, which brought in Tickner to try to save the game, with 28 deliveries remaining. He stoically faced ten of those deliveries, as Glamorgan switched pacemen at one end and hoped Kellaway could twirl one more piece of magic at the other. Then again, Blair averages 32 with bat and ball this summer, so perhaps we shouldn't have worried..

Reece and Tickner resisted. Kellaway even bowled the penultimate delivery with his left hand to try to shake things up, but with everyone around the bat, Luis stood tall and earned the draw points.

Of course it is easy to say that we missed out on the win points today. Yet for me, we took it much closer than I expected and once again I was very proud of the way the team battled and saw their way to draw points that could be very important in September. 

We remain undefeated, we remain in second place. These are giddy heights indeed, yet thoroughly deserved for the brand of positive, exciting cricket that the team are playing.

A win would have been quite special, but I am very happy with our efforts and the progress clearly being made this summer.

Phew! Time to unwind now...