Seconds reach 68-3
Tue 26 Apr 2016
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
Play got underway at 11.45 for this Second XI Championship match played at Swarkestone CC. Skipper Tom Wells lost the toss and Derbyshire elected to field.
County showed three changes from the team that played at Northamptonshire last week. Aadil Ali, Leo Cammish and Dustin Melton replacing Liam Hurt, Gurjit Sandhu and Rob Taylor.
The scorers have a side on view at Swarkestone, and are housed at the end of the Pavilion veranda. We have a panoramic view, East Midlands Airport being in the distance, and planes can be seen regularly making their way skywards. Luckily our accommodation includes an industrial strength heater that would be utilised to the full today.
There was a biting chill in the air when the players took the field. Harry Dearden and Lewis Hill opened the innings. After an over had been bowled the players left the field due to rain.
After a short break Hill (4) was caught at second slip by Alex Hughes off the bowling of Ben Cotton. The players then immediately left the field for a further rain stoppage.
Upon the resumption Aadil Ali joined Dearden, and was soon into his stride finding the ropes on seven occasions, each side of a further rain break, with delightful shots along the carpet. County went into lunch on 55-1 from 17 overs.
The score had progressed to 60 when Ali (39) (8x4/52b) was adjudged caught behind by Harvey Hosein, Cotton being the successful bowler again.
Wells (1) soon followed another victim for Cotton, falling lbw offering no shot. Whilst wickets were falling around him opener Harry Dearden remained firm, progressing to 20 from 53 balls.
Bad light caused another stoppage, the fourth of the day, at 2.50pm with the score on 68-3 from 23 overs. Dearden 20* and Will Wright 1*
Tea was taken during this stoppage at 4.00pm and with the weather closing in play was abandoned for the day at 5.00pm.
