Leicestershire 354-3 ( Hill 131*, Ahmed 115, Handscomb 99*)
v Derbyshire
It was a hard day's graft on a good batting pitch, a good toss to win and not the best of balls to have to use to get any response at all.
Leicestershire are firmly in the box seat at the end of the first day and already it looks like a battle to stay in the game, when our turn comes, presumably at some point later tomorrow.
Martin Andersson missed out with a back spasm and Nye Donald took his place in a lengthy batting order. With the pitch being used for the fourth time this summer, the visitors will have banked on it offering greater response for their spinners on the last two days than it did today.
That may turn out to be the case, but after the early dismissals of Budinger and Patel, the visiting batting lineup was largely untroubled all day.
Ahmed made a delightful century and he has been in prime form this season. He is very much an eye player and it will be interesting, as his career progresses, to see if his technique still allows him to score prolifically as he gets older. At the moment, once he gets in he looks a million dollars and he scored pretty much at will through the morning and early afternoon.
His dismissal was a surprise, but that was as good as it got for Derbyshire, with Hill making a more patient but classy century, before Handscomb helped him in an unbroken stand of 188 for the fourth wicket. Leicestershire are certainly getting good value from their overseas player, as batter, wicket keeper and captain in this match. Maybe he even drove the team bus on the way over...
There was a wicket each for Reece, Tickner and Chappell but I suspect Ben Aitchison, Pat Brown, Martin Andersson and Anuj Dal will regard this as a good day to miss.
The next three days will be pivotal to Derbyshire's hopes of promotion. Glamorgan's game against Kent looks certain to produce a positive result and it could be that we drop out of the promotion places without a good response here.
I will leave it to you to comment on the next two days, as my wife and I are having a couple of days away with our dogs.
As usual, I will provide a page on which you can comment at the end of the day.
Yes a bad toss to lose and Leicester are obviously going to go big and hope to bat the once.No reason why we can't post a good score but as you say Peakfan a wearing pitch could help their spinners on the last day.For ours to concede 200 runs on the first day without a wicket just not good enough.Topspinner!!
ReplyDeleteMost of the day had a feel of a pre season friendly or nothing to play for last match of the season. With 53 overs of spin bowled we still finished 30 minutes over the scheduled finish time. I know it must be very hard on a flat pitch with a kookaburra ball but the constant talking after almost every few balls is quite a unprofessional look and it will be interesting to see if Leicestershire show a bit more urgency in the field. Reece bowled very well today and Chappell looked okay. Thomson stuck manfully to his task and was unlucky with a couple of lbw shouts. The other 3 bowlers looked awful today and I think Lloyd needs to concentrate on opening the batting. It’s like waving the white flag bringing him on to bowl village cricket offies
ReplyDeleteWe're lacking badly aren't we in the bowling department. 0 for 2 then they add 367 runs for the loss of just one more wicket, seriously depressing stuff. They will declare at 600 then watch us make a complete pigs ear of batting. I see a heavy defeat after the first day here!
ReplyDeleteThankfully I managed to get to the ground on time today otherwise I would have missed the only excitement of the day, the first eight balls ! After that the turgid cricket that followed explained why for a “ top of the table “ clash the crowd was dreadful with many people including myself bordering on sleep during the after lunch period.
ReplyDeleteReally is this the best the CC has to offer ? Dull lifeless pitches? We won’t need the hundred or cricket played in April and September to kill the CC if this is the best that July has to offer.
Not long after lunch our three seamers were operating with no slips and despite the captains inventiveness with field placings in front of the wicket only one more wicket fell this to a poor shot not good bowling.
Oh and for goodness sake why does someone ( I assume its Guest ) shout “ catch “ every time the ball is hit even slightly off the ground even though it’s only for a few inches! It’s boring and unnecessary.
Can’t wait for tomorrow but I’ll be there !
Paul
It’s a bit early to judge just how lifeless the pitch is. It might be more our bowlers. I’ve a feeling it might not seem quite so lifeless tomorrow afternoon/ evening
DeleteThe toss was crucial, they won it and took full advantage. In red ball we have shown a lot of resilience so far this season. We will need to do so again, if we do, and secure a draw, then we will still be in contention. We bat deep, on paper..
ReplyDeleteThe inadequacy of our bowling attack was cruelly exposed by fluent Leics batting. I take the point about the lifeless pitch and Dukes ball but surely we should do better than this?
ReplyDeleteThe weakest bowling attack we have ever had? Perhaps.
We're just very easily pleased as Derbyshire supporters aren't we?. Winning two matches in the championship so far constitutes success where it should be the norm for any county side really. Let's not beat around the bush here, Mickey Arthur hasn't pushed this team on during his tenure, we're still the poor county we've always been. A man who came with a big reputation has failed and it rests with him this sorry side
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good couple of days to be away Steve as the cricket will be a struggle. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteAdrian, Nice
Stopped watching after lunch, our bowling attack, on a Derby pitch (no matter how many days its been used) and a Kookaburra ball. I expected nothing but runs, runs, and more runs. Just have to make sure we don't collapse under scoreboard pressure 😬
ReplyDelete