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Match report day 4 Yorkshire v Derbyshire in Championship 2004
by John Ward


Scorecard:Yorkshire v Derbyshire

Overnight: Yorkshire 442/8 dec; Derbyshire 240 and to follow on
Lunch: Derbyshire (2) 109/1 off 32 overs (Stubbings 49*, Moss 51*)
Tea: Derbyshire 172/4 off 64 overs (Bassano 3*, Bryant 4*)
Close: Derbyshire 245/5 – match drawn

 

Batting with more determination and sense in their second innings, Derbyshire successfully played out a draw against Yorkshire at Headingley Stadium. The Yorkshire bowling was not strong enough to force a victory on a good pitch when their opponents applied themselves, but again they could blame climatic interference in the match, which may have cost them victory.

 

As was inevitable, Yorkshire enforced the follow-on with a first-innings lead of 202. John Blain, after his four wickets in the first innings, was promoted to share the new ball with Steve Kirby, but overpitched his first delivery, enabling Andrew Gait to avoid his ‘pair’ with a handsome straight drive for four.

 

Kirby soon had a close lbw appeal against Gait rejected by umpire David Constant, and appeared typically distraught; a little later, Blain was similarly upset when umpire Ian Gould did not give Steve Stubbings out caught at the wicket. But Derbyshire, whose task can be no more than a struggle for survival, approached it with some positive strokes, although they found it difficult to pierce the tightly-set field.

 

Gait never looked comfortable, though, and it was no surprise when Blain finally got his man, beating him as he groped forward and trapping him lbw for 5. Derbyshire were 24 for one in the 10th over.

 

Jonathan Moss soon settled in confidently and the Yorkshire bowling began to look rather unimpressive. Richard Dawson slowed down the scoring a little with his off-breaks, and Moss caught Stubbings on 40. Then some loose bowling by leg-spinner Mark Lawson gave Moss a four and a six off successive deliveries to bring up his fifty off 60 balls.

 

Immediately after lunch Stubbings reached his own fifty, off 106 balls, and Derbyshire moved slowly towards safety. Yorkshire’s acting captain Matthew Wood tried all his bowlers and tight fielding kept the scoring rate down, but there were few hints of a wicket. But finally Darren Lehmann, with his left-arm spin, did the trick, bowling Stubbings (58) off the inside edge as he went on the drive. Derbyshire were 139 for two, after a partnership of 115.

 

Hassan Adnan made 6 before he was out to another excellent catch by Wood at second slip off a poor stroke, dabbing at a ball outside the off stump from Blain. Wood swooped low to catch the ball off his bootlaces and Adnan was reluctant to walk for it, in the hope that it would be adjudged not to have carried. Derbyshire were 159 for three, still 43 in arrears.

 

Moss seemed to be struggling as he approached his century, and he struggled even more when, on 87, he pushed a ball to Lehmann at mid-off and attempted a quick single, only for the Australian brilliantly to throw down the stumps at the bowler’s end with Moss just short of the crease. This was a crucial wicket to revive Yorkshire’s flagging spirits and put them in the hunt again, with Derbyshire 164 for four.

 

At tea, the picture was clear: Derbyshire needed 30 more runs to save the innings defeat, while Yorkshire needed six wickets to bowl Derbyshire out – in time for them to chase whatever target the visiting batsmen could set them. Yorkshire relied on spinners Dawson and Lawson, but batsmen Chris Bassano and James Bryant scored off them with confidence. It was suspected to be a ploy to bring on the second new ball more quickly – but that was later proven false, although it certainly did allow Yorkshire a few extra overs as they were able to exceed the required over rate.

 

Bryant (10) was beaten and adjudged lbw to Dawson by umpire Constant for 10, showing a marked reluctance to leave the crease; 190 for five. One run later Bassano was dropped at short leg off Dawson, a sharp chance but a vital miss. Minutes later, helped by some inaccurate offerings from Lawson gratefully accepted by Luke Sutton, Derbyshire had reached 202 and parity.

 

Yorkshire continued with their spinners but, with Lawson and Lehmann especially, it was a case of quantity rather than quality: there were too many loose deliveries and the batsmen took advantage of them. It was soon clear the batsmen were settled, Derbyshire were safe and confirmed that Yorkshire do not have the bowlers to dismiss opponents within a day on a good pitch unless the latter commit suicide – as had happened the previous day.

 

At 5.24, Derbyshire declared at 245 for five, 43 ahead, and the match, without Yorkshire ever trying the second new ball, ended in a draw. Bassano finished unbeaten on 29 and Sutton 33. The only bowler to take more than one wicket was Blain, with two for 28. Yorkshire gained 12 points from the match and Derbyshire 7.

 


(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)

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