Leicestershire Stay Top Of Table After Derbyshire Draw

By Jon Culley, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Day 4: Leicestershire 484 & 357/9 dec. Derbyshire 393 and 305/4. Match drawn. Leicestershire 16 points, Derbyshire 14 points.

Maximum bonus points ensured Leicestershire remained at the top of the early Division Two table after their Rothesay County Championship match against neighbours Derbyshire ended in the draw that had looked nailed-on throughout the final day, despite visiting captain Wayne Madsen inevitably making runs.

The home side, leading by 382 overnight, batted on for a further eight overs in their second innings before declaring nine wickets down to set Derbyshire an unlikely target of 449 from a minimum 86 overs. They were 305 for four with a possible six more overs remaining when the sides shook hands on a draw.

The pitch had yielded runs at a healthy 4.36 per over across the first three innings but 5.22 per always looked a mightily tall order for the team that finished bottom of Division Two last season, even though they also opened the new campaign with a win. Likewise, taking 10 wickets with little evidence of deterioration in the surface looked a remote prospect for the Foxes.

Leicestershire rattled off another 66 runs for the loss of one wicket before skipper Peter Handscomb signalled the declaration at 357 for nine. Ben Mike hammered an unbeaten 38 from 26 balls, including sixes off Morley and Blair Tickner. He and Tom Scriven added 55 from 40 balls after Green had clipped Morley straight to short midwicket in the second over.

As Derbyshire began the nominal pursuit of their target, Logan van Beek had David Lloyd caught by second slip Handscomb in the sixth over, the captain taking his second catch as the only slip when Ian Holland had a tentative Harry Came dangling the bat two overs after lunch.

The combination of Jewell and Madsen took out another 20 overs before the Leicestershire attack could make further inroads. The Australian left-hander, who has made half-centuries in each of his first four Derbyshire innings, was impressive in making 50 from 53 balls but had become a little bogged down when he was bowled off a bottom edge by Scriven for 73. 

Madsen kept it just about alive, surviving a difficult chance to wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Ben Green on 64. After adding a six down the ground off Rehan Ahmed to 13 fours, another hundred looked his for the taking until, one more boundary away, he dragged one on from Ben Mike. 

With a minimum 24.4 overs still potentially left, Leicestershire might have caused some panic for the visitors had they been able to whip out another couple quickly, but Brooke Guest and Luis Reece denied them. Derbyshire drop a place third in the table, Leicestershire stay top.