Derbyshire 372 and 286
Northamptonshire 310 and 326-6 (Vasconcelos 132, Procter 51, Harrison 50, Randell 3-54, Abbas 3-64)
Match drawn
Any turn was slow, any movement off the seam, other than with the new ball was minimal. Both Mohammad Abbas and Brett Randell put in sterling shifts and their combined economy was probably what saved Derbyshire. Yet neither looked like running through the opposition batting on a very good fourth day pitch.
Ricardo Vasconcelos batted superbly and at lunchtime it seemed like a case of damage limitation, as he and Luke Procter opened with a stand of 152. The home side will rue the slow batting when he was out, when only 36 runs were scored in the next 14 overs against tight bowling and some good fielding .
They accelerated later, but with only 23 runs needed, first bad light and then light rain prevented a home win. Part of me feels that they were robbed after a very professional run chase, but the reality is that they should have been aware of the weather forecast and pushed the game to a conclusion - notwithstanding the risks involved - before the weather front came in. The umpires followed the rules and them's the breaks, regardless of the comments of some Neanderthals on social media..
I understand the frustration of home fans and that they 'only' needed 23 and 'could' have played on. But conditions were deemed poor by the umpires, who took them off, never to return. Regardless of the challenge of batting, if you have ever had to field in bad light you will know that it isn't the easiest of tasks either.
Shoaib Bashir also bowled economically today, but for me it highlighted the importance - should that really need done - of Ben Aitchison to this side. So many times this season he has taken early wickets and that would have meant a totally different run chase today. No disrespect to Nick Potts, who did well when he came into this game as a substitute, but he doesn't offer similar control nor penetration, as his second innings figures show.
So we move on to Worcester next week, with the last of the walking wounded. We won't see Aitchison, who will likely not be fit but wouldn't be allowed to play after being substituted, while Brett Randell would likely need to be be granted an exemption from his NOC to play one more game.
There may also be a question mark over Brooke Guest, who had a lot of work to do in standing up to both Randell and Abbas and took what appeared a fearful blow on a finger near the end of play.
We will find out in due course, but Derbyshire got out of jail here in the end.
Hopefully we can get a result at Worcester, sending all of us into autumn and winter in good heart.
Daylight robbery. Or to put it another way, No daylight robbery. Still, you must take the rough with the smooth and that was the smoothest 8 points Derbyshire are likely to get.
ReplyDeleteA very good game that highlighted the good and not so good for us.
Whereas the Northants openers did a sterling job our top order was seriously lacking. Certain players struggled in this game and have been struggling for a while.
I don't think Montgomery is a number 3. He should move down the order. Reece should open the batting and Guest always looked more comfortable at number 3.
Whether any of that would have made a difference I don't know but we ought to try something different for the last game.
The last 2 games have been so different to the Gloucestershire disaster. Let's hope that whoever is fit to play against Worcestershire perform to this improved standard.
A cracking game of county cricket. Like you say probably a bit fortunate to get a draw in the end but Derbyshire more then played their part over the 4 days. Hopefully northants will still pip Kent for promotion still.They look a better balanced team then Kent in my opinion
ReplyDeleteAny negative comments about the Umpire's decision today might be compared to those about Leicester's pitch. This is the game; the behaviour of pitches, weather and light are active and fluctuating factors across 4 days and are subject to the Umpires reading of the rules. Northants failed to keep up the pace after a fine start, as our bowling tightened up, and they didn't consider the possibility of a light call. There you go. We earned our points and our good fortune. No doubt someone out there with an eye on broadcasting rights is making a case for a 10-0ver game, played indoors on some sort of 4g track, but if the day ever comes when pitches, weather, and light are not a factor in the behaviour of the ball, then I'm off.
ReplyDeleteChapel Guy
ReplyDeleteI agree about Aitchison's absence being crucial and that he might have made all the difference. I also agree that Northants have only themselves to blame by not scoring quickly enough.
I was put in mind of a similar situation at Derby in I think 2011. On that occasion we were playing Essex and only needed 20 odd more runs to win with 6 wickets down to win. So very similar to Northants today. Rain thwarted our victory chase and it was very frustrating. But that's how it goes in this country. You win some, you lose some.
Deserved to lose that and a loss in all but name.
ReplyDeleteCounty cricket seems to sometimes forget it's a spectator sport. Every ground has flood lights and pink balls exist so no excuse to be abandoning play due to light with a result so close. Pathetic, doesn't help attract fans.
I had assumed the flood lights were on? I take your point, but you can't switch balls just to get a result, unless you rewrite the rules.
DeleteWe should have lost, but I recall matches where we would have won in similar situations. As with all professional sport, and indeed life, you take it on the chin and move on
I disagree. People pay to watch, the sport doesn't make enough effort to give them the maximum overs to watch. No wonder crowds are on their arse for 4 day cricket.
DeleteNorthants batted for almost 90 overs over three sessions. Instead of blaming the umpires surely they should take a good look at their game management as the rain came when predicted which is normally preceded by bad light
ReplyDeletePaul
That should have been another loss
ReplyDeleteAbbas bowled well but still not at the level I would expect for international in D2
Bashir never looks like taking wickets. Kiwi bowler bit erratic but maybe have him back next season
Northamptonshire knew what they were chasing. Only themselves to blame
I think we played well for the first three days. But we never looked like bowling Nothants out today, despite two Test match bowlers in the attack. Abbas did well, picking up three wickets, but it wasn't a match winning performance. Bashir has bowled a lot of overs since he joined, but hasn't managed to pick up many wickets, and his spin hasn't won us a game. It's not enough to say Abbas and Bashir are statement signings, as MA has done. if they don't produce match winning performances, at some point.
ReplyDeleteYet the underrated Randell, once again, put in a great performance.
Downthewicket
Our final match starts 8 days after Ben's injury so he is able to play (if fit)
ReplyDeleteI would be surprised if he did, Simon. I know it is the last match and there's a long winter ahead, but why risk further damage and a bigger issue when he is SO important to the side?
DeleteEll
I thought we dominated the game for large parts, so saying we deserved to lose is a little harsh. Aitchison is the best bowler in the division currently, or at least on a par with Potts at Durham. So that's a big loss. I think we have showed a lot of effort and desire in these last 2 games, when some of our players are firing on fumes. Andersson was strapped up.and limping, for the whole game. Such are the perils of a small squad.I really can't fault them, in these last 2 games, against strong sides. Kris
ReplyDeleteIt was Northants game to move on but for four days they chose not to do so., including the pace they batted both innings…. It’s on them. They benefited from bowling first in helpful conditions and in particular, from outrageous umpiring on the first morning and afternoon, caving in to excessive unbecoming ‘appealing’. Assume that the scorers, ground staff and entire crowd were all also feverishly fired out lbw by the umpires in the first 200 minutes of the game …… as were all those of us watching on livestream…..
ReplyDelete