Derbyshire Dominate Second Day

A second successive Shan Masood double hundred placed Derbyshire in a dominant position at the close of play on the second day at Uptonsteel County Ground.

Amply supported by a 94 from Wayne Madsen and an unbeaten 63 from Matty McKiernan, the visitors took stumps holding a 224-run first innings lead, with a somewhat lifeless wicket making for a grueling day in the field for the Running Foxes.

A probing first half an hour’s action culminated with the first breakthrough of the day; Will Davis wrapping Brooke Guest’s pads to dismiss the Derbyshire ‘keeper for 23.

Masood, on 42, and the score on 80, survived a huge LBW shout of Ed Barnes, with the Pakistan star examining his bat as if to indicate an inside edge was his saviour. A collective pose of hands on heads in disbelief ensued.

The opener moved to 50 with a couple of Barnes, before another loud leg before shout was turned down next ball. Wiaan Mulder almost had Wayne Madsen strangled down the leg side in the following over, but Harry Swindells couldn’t quote hold on, if Madsen had indeed made contact.

Callum Parkinson was the next man to have an LBW appeal against Masood turned down, this time on the final ball before lunch, with Derbyshire taking the interval on 147-2.

11 deliveries after the resumption Madsen almost fell, chipping a mistimed forward defence off Davis just short of Colin Ackermann at mid on.

The pair brought up their hundred stand soon after, and the two looked calm in application, but for the occasional play and miss and leg before shout.

Madsen brought up his half century with a cut for three off Davis, before Masood reached his century on the following ball.

Madsen eventually fell to break a stand worth 221. He and Masood set off for a quick single, but the 38-year-old was run out by a brilliant shy at the stumps by Barnes, departing just six runs shy of three figures. Tea was taken with the visitors 295-3.

The restart immediately brought the new ball. But, on was proving a lifeless wicket to the bowlers, it didn’t extract much in the way of swing or seam movement.

Mulder was denied a first Leicestershire wicket when a top-edged pull from Matty McKiernan toward the electronic scoreboard swirled in the wind, but, despite making the ground, Louis Kimber couldn’t cling on.

Masood was soon raising his bat aloft again, to celebrate a second successive double hundred. A commanding knock comprising 251 balls.

The milestones continued as the two brought up the 100 partnership with a single off Parkinson, before McKiernan reached his 50 with a single off Mulder.

Derbyshire’s overseas star eventually fell to Parkinson, as the Running Foxes’ spinner got one to turn back into the left-hander and subsequently dislodge the bails.

Parkinson began to find turn in the closing overs of the day, taking Leus du Plooy’s outside edge, only for the ball to narrowly evade Ackermann’s clutches at slip.

The visitors closed on 437-4, with a first innings lead of 224. Play for day three resumes tomorrow at 11am.