Derby keep title in sight
Cricket: Worcestershire 238 & 303 Derbyshire 471 & 71-1 Derbyshire won by 9 wickets
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Free admission on a potentially short day tempted fate for Derbyshire but their tilt at the title was duly sustained. A thousand or so spectators wandered around, as liberated as the Queen's Park wild fowl, but the century maker Reuben Spiring and Steve Rhodes fettered Derbyshire's attack.
It took almost three and a quarter hours to capture the final four Worcestershire wickets, Richard Illingworth being unable to bat because of a broken finger. Derbyshire, with a mixture of relief and elation, ran up the runs needed for their seventh win in nine games from 10.3 overs.
This was their first Championship victory over Worcestershire in 11 years, thus ending their leanest present run against any team. Winning at Chesterfield was also a novel experience, with only one success in the 10 previous first-class games here.
A pitch growing increasingly flat made Derbyshire appreciate the excellence of the three catches which dismissed Tom Moody, Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki on the previous evening.
High-class fielding has helped to elevate Derbyshire into the top three with the wicketkeeper Karl Krikken setting lofty standards. Spiring was still dropped twice, on 19 by Dean Jones at first slip on Friday evening, and on 84, by Phil DeFreitas, at short backward square leg off Dominic Cork.
Crikken's athleticism was again in demand because Derbyshire's much- vaunted seam bowlers were wayward and frustrated during the fifth-wicket stand of 146 in 39 overs.
When Spiring straight drove back to Andrew Harris, the bowler shied wildly at the batsman's stumps, the throw deflecting off Harris's pads to the third man boundary.
Ball rarely beat bat during Spiring's plucky partnership with Rhodes, which prevented an innings defeat. A flurry of 21 fours swept Spiring beyond 100 for the third time this season. Rhodes completed 10,000 first- class runs for his county and Devon Malcolm achieved his 500th wicket for Derbyshire, who lost their happy knack of evicting the opposing tail.
With Jones off the field suffering from bruised ribs, DeFreitas used himself as an off-spinner after lunch. Two wickets rewarded his experiment, in a return of four for 70.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments