Durston and Footitt take Derbyshire to victory

Durston and Footitt take Derbyshire to victory

Derbyshire 361 & 72-3 defeated Northamptonshire 116 & 316 by 7 wickets

Derbyshire completed only their second County Championship win in 25 years at Wantage Road shortly after lunch on the third day, reaching their target of 72 to record a three wicket win.

With Northants resuming their second innings with the scores level but six wickets down, Ben Duckett took his overnight 132 to a career best 154 but following his dismissal Northants were soon bowled out for 316. The visitors needed less than 15 overs to reach a victory target that sealed their third Championship win of the season, while for Northants it is back to back defeat, both by heavy margins following their two day lose at Cheltenham last week.

Mark Footitt took the final Northants wicket for his 50th of the Championship season, having taken 5-41 in the first innings, and afterwards he praised Alex Hughes, whose first innings century lay the foundations for the win.

“Alex Hughes’ hundred in the first innings set it up perfectly for us to go out there and make them follow-on,” he said. “It’s been a great team performance all round and we stuck to what we needed to do.”

“I got the 50 wickets exactly the same time last year and kicked on from there so hopefully I can do the same. It’s a great personal achievement but still it can’t be done without having a decent bowling attack with you.”

“It was a good wicket when the ball got softer and the way Ben Cotton bowled, Shiv [Thakor] and Pallers [Tony Palladino] all with the older ball today, and we new we had that new ball around the corner.”

After being bowled out for 116 in their first innings on Day 2 it was always going to be a tall order for Northants to save the day, despite Duckett’s century ensuring the game at least went into a third day at Wantage Road. Duckett and Josh Cobb frustrated the visitors for the first hour with a stubborn stand of 54, the 20-year-old moving past his previous best of 144 not out before bringing up his 150 in just 206 balls shortly after.

With the new ball imminent, however, the introduction of Wes Durston appeared a holding role, but the off-spinner chipped in with three wickets as Northants fell in a heap after Duckett edged to slip attempt to drive Durston.

Rory Kleinveldt attempted to smash the first ball he faced down the ground but only managed to slice a catch high to point and, with the tail for company, Cobb pulled Durston for six before holing out to deep midwicket from the very next ball.

Mark Footitt returned, needing just three deliveries with the new ball to wrap up the innings, and bowled Maurice Chambers who was his 50th victim of the season.

Derbyshire lost Hamish Rutherford to the second ball of the chase and the visitors went to lunch with 11-1, but Chesney Hughes did not resume after the interval having taken a blow on the head off Kleinveldt.

Wayne Madsen (11) was run out by Duckett’s direct hit from midwicket, while Billy Godleman (14) edged Ben Sanderson to slip The extras top scored with 23 as the visitors sealed the win a little after 2:30pm on the third day.

For Duckett it has been a difficult week off the pitch after the 20-year-old was convicted of drink driving last week. Nevertheless he continued his fine run since moving up to the top of the order, which has yielded two centuries and two fifties in six innings.

“I’ve just been going out there as if I was batting in any position, playing my natural game,” he said. “Obviously in the first innings it didn’t go my way, nicked off the first ball, but then second innings I tried to go out there and back myself and it paid off.”

“I think it’s the most balls I’ve faced in an innings so far and the wicket wasn’t easy. At times you had to graft it out, but when I got to three figures that’s the best feeling I’ve had, best out of all the hundreds.”

“That’s two PBs this week. What’s gone on off the pitch I’m obviously disappointed about, but as soon as I cross the line I don’t think about it and strangely I’ve played better than I did before. I’m just in fairly good nick at the moment and trying to make it count.”

 

 

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