Foxes show fight to secure draw
Thu 15 Sep 2016
Derbyshire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 4:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Rob Sayer spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the final day are available HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire showed real determination and spirit to secure a draw after an absorbing final day of the Specsavers County Championship game at Derbyshire.
An overnight declaration by Billy Godleman meant that Leicestershire were set 347 to win from a minimum of 96 overs.
Despite suffering a hand injury in the field on the first day, captain Mark Cosgrove added 110 to his first innings score of 95 not out to steer Leicestershire into a good position at 232-4 in the 68th over.
Young duo Callum Parkinson and Will Davis then changed the complexion of this game, sharing four wickets in the space of 29 balls including the key dismissal of Cosgrove. The tables had now turned with County still needing 105 and Derbyshire requiring two wickets with 23.5 overs still remaining.
A 93-minute rearguard followed as Richard Jones (19 not out off 62 balls), batting in a good deal of pain like Cosgrove, shared 59 with Rob Sayer, who soaked up 90 balls for 32 not out.
Leicestershire had got off to a bad start as seamer Tony Palladino, who took the first four wickets to fall, reduced them to 7-2 in the third over.
Angus Robson (0) was unfortunate to be caught behind down the leg-side in the first over and Harry Dearden (2) was then nicely caught at by Wayne Madsen at first slip.
Horton and Cosgrove used all of their experience to soak up the pressure of an on-song attack who were benefitting from murky conditions in the early part of the day.
The opener did the bulk of the boundary scoring in the first session, finding the ropes eight times as he progressed to a 97-ball 50.
Horton timed the ball well on both sides of the wicket, often using the pace of the ball to lean into drives, while Cosgrove again put up resistance. His first innings was a mix of grit, concentration and fine strokeplay and this effort was no different.
Cosgrove was unbeaten on 34 with Horton 57 not out as the team went in for their lunch at 102-2 from 29 overs.
With County requiring a further 245 to win from a minimum of 65 overs, it was a case of putting crease occupation at the top of the agenda as the run rate was in hand.
The skipper was still looking to score at every opportunity and moved from his lunchtime score to 46 with three further boundaries.
However, Cosgrove lost an ally before reaching his second 50 of the game as Palladino struck for a third time, trapping Horton lbw for 61.
Cosgrove’s landmark then came up from 99 balls (7x4) and he formed another vital partnership with Dexter.
The left-hander took on the lead role with six further boundaries but Dexter’s contribution was just as important. The duo added a further 76 in 21.1 overs before the tea interval with Cosgrove on 92 and Dexter 24.
With Derbyshire behind the over rate despite 15 overs of spin from Parkinson and Madsen, there were still 38 overs to be bowled with County requiring a further 149 to win.
It was a good position to be in but Palladino again inflicted some damage, gaining a second lbw verdict of the day to dismiss Dexter (26) and end a stand that yielded 78.
Cosgrove went on to post a magnificent hundred from the 179th ball faced, a 15th four of the innings that was driven through the covers off Parkinson.
Ned Eckersley collected a couple of boundaries in Parkinson’s 13th over before a tough chance was created as Davis re-entered the attack. Cosgrove drove hard at the first delivery of his spell and Madsen couldn’t quite hang on as the ball went above his head at first slip.
Although Cosgrove picked up another four off Parkinson, the slow left armer turned the game with two important wickets in as many overs.
Cosgrove drove to counterpart Godleman at mid-off while Mark Pettini (1) followed, cutting to a diving Ben Slater at point.
A third wicket fell in the space of 18 deliveries as Clint McKay (0) perished in the same manner as the first innings in hooking Davis to Alex Hughes at deep square leg.
The paceman then had Eckersley (20) caught down the leg-side by Hosein and County now had to abandon the chase and purely focus on shutting up their shop.
Sayer and Jones had their work cut out with a new ball due in 7.5 overs time but knuckled down brilliantly. The latter, who was batting with Robson as a runner following an injury yesterday, followed the example of his captain by holding firm despite being in discomfort.
There were some positive strokes but the focus was rightly on leaving the ball and watchful defence, which the duo did with aplomb.
A scare or two was incurred along the way; Parkinson put down a caught and bowled chance offered by Jones, while Sayer ducked into a bouncer that didn’t get up and ended up being an appeal for leg before, but the batsmen deserved some fortune.
Although County may well feel the game had been there to be won, they could easily have lost. Nine points from a draw was the least that their efforts deserved, particularly after the captain's contribution.
Today’s knock means that Cosgrove has now amassed 1,242 runs at 51.75 in the Specsavers County Championship this summer. Cosgrove also continued his love affair with this ground - the 32-year-old has scored 707 runs at 88.37 in ten first-class innings here over the years.
There is one final challenge remaining in 2016, a home game against a Glamorgan side who beat Champions Essex today. That contest begins on Tuesday at 10.30am.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 17-3-61-2, Jones 2-0-6-0, Dexter 25-7-68-2, Shreck 19-3-61-2, Cosgrove 4-1-14-0, Sayer 12-1-63-1.
