Dramatic final match ends as draw

An absorbing final LV=CC game of the season fittingly went down to the wire as Derbyshire and Leicestershire, who showed tremendous spirit, shared the spoils at the 3aaa County Ground.

Mark Cosgrove extended his superb knock from 126 to 156 - Leicestershire’s highest individual score of the season - as County set Derbyshire 341 to win from a minimum of 81 overs.

Openers Ben Slater and Billy Godleman gave Derbyshire a solid start with a partnership of 103 and centurion Chesney Hughes and Wayne Madsen went on to share 157 for the third wicket.

Derbyshire were 285-2 at one point and then progressed to 322-4 with four overs to go but Ben Raine and Ollie Freckingham were terrific as the home side closed on 331-8 after a dramatic finale.

There had also been an entertaining opening to the day as County added another 56 runs to their overnight score of 307-7. Among the flurry of activity, Durston doubled his overnight tally of three wickets to end with 6-109.

The off-spinner trapped Rob Taylor (10) lbw and had Zak Chappell (7) stumped before Cosgrove added a useful 29 for the last wicket with Freckingham (0 not out).

Cosgrove drove two maximums on the final morning, the second of which recorded a magnificent 150 off 196 balls. The landmark included 19 fours and a trio of towering sixes and Cosgrove went on to finish the season with 1,185 first-class runs at an impressive average of 42.32.

The skipper was also stumped by Tom Poynton as Leicestershire ended their second innings on 356 all out. Derbyshire openers Slater and Godleman got the chase off to a good start, the left-handers being unbeaten on 26 and 32 respectively at lunch as the target was reduced by 61.

Godleman, who received his county cap during this game, moved to a half-century off 74 balls that included eight fours before being pinned in front by Raine. It was the all-rounder’s 60^th first-class wicket of the season.

His opening partner Slater also recorded a 50 (94 balls, 7x4) but the scoring rate had slowed either side of the wicket. Dan Redfern (22-1-65-0) played a key role in that squeeze, only conceding one boundary in his first 14 overs. The off-spinner’s pressure nearly paid off as Hughes got a leading edge that just avoided Chappell at point in his 14^th over, the 38^th of the innings.

Although Redfern himself didn’t profit from his own parsimony, Chappell (9-1-35-1) reaped the rewards by having Slater (56) leg before in the next over. That left Derbyshire at 128-2 and key man Madsen came to the wicket.

The captain and Hughes took the score to 155-2 by tea, which meant that Derbyshire required 186 from 34 overs. The Anguillan went on to become the third successive Derbyshire batsman to reach a half-century with his fifth four - the 82-ball landmark also contained a six.

The stand went on to pass 100 and when 20 overs were remaining, Derbyshire needed 105 to secure victory. That target had come down to 94 when umpire Martin Bodenham, on his final day before retirement, pointed to his wrist to signal the last hour.

Milestones kept coming as a three for Madsen recorded both a well-constructed 50 and his 1,000^th Championship run of the season (75 balls, 2x4). Hughes went through to three figures from 152 deliveries with nine fours and a six, and the partnership moved to 150 with a single.

Taylor (13-1-68-2) then picked up a vital double strike, bowling Hughes for an excellent 101 before having Madsen (66) caught behind by Niall O’Brien in his next over. That left Derbyshire at 292-4 with 49 required off 45 balls and that target came down to 35 off 30 as Knight and Durston both found the boundary.

The pendulum looked to have swung in Derbyshire’s favour in the next over as 16 runs were gathered, including a four and six off consecutive balls from Durston and a last-ball boundary by Knight.

But there was another twist as Leicestershire claimed four wickets in the space of just ten deliveries. Freckingham (16-1-52-1) had dangerman Durston (29 off 21 balls) well-held by Taylor at long-on before Raine (20-3-96-2) yorked Poynton (2) to finish as Leicestershire’s leading Championship wicket-taker.

Another went in the penultimate over as Tom Milnes (1) was run out by Ali (1-0-8-0) and O'Brien in attempting to nick an overthrow after narrowly avoiding being dismissed scrambling the initial single. Ali was again in the action at the start of the final over, calmly throwing the ball to Freckingham as Tom Taylor (1) was also run out looking to sneak Tom Knight a second run.

The game could still have gone any of four ways with five balls remaining as Derbyshire needed ten runs and Leicestershire required two wickets. Derbyshire opted to shut up shop, so they took 13 points while Leicestershire claimed 12 following a terrific contest.

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