Thakor fights back after Kleinveldt stifles Derbyshire

Thakor fights back after Kleinveldt stifles Derbyshire

Stumps, Day One: Derbyshire 275-8 (Thakor 60*) v Northants, at Wantage Road

Stumps Day 1: Derbyshire 275-8 (Thakor 60*, Palladino 49, Kleinveldt 3-58) v Northants

Shiv Thakor’s unbeaten half century, along with 49 from Tony Palladino, helped Derbyshire recover from a post lunch collapse to finish the opening day 275-8 against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

After winning the toss and choosing the bat, the Derbyshire top three of Chesney Hughes, captain Billy Godleman and Hamish Rutherford all passed 30 before falling shortly afterwards, as the visitors slipped from 101-1 to 133-6 Rory Kleinveldt took three wickets in as many overs.

However, Thakor and Palladino combined to add 105 for the eighth wicket, the former reaching a half-century and the latter fall one short falling just before the new ball was taken. Bad light stopped play three overs later.

“We started well the first hour but unfortunate to have that collapse just after lunch but I thought Shiv and Tony played excellent either side of tea,” Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman said, “I felt good out there but it only takes one ball and the art of batting is to make sure you don’t make a mistake.

“It was what we desperately needed at that point of the game. As I said Shiv played really well. He weathered quite a fiery spell against the big fast bowler and then played the section of play – from 60 overs up until the second new ball – really wisely, took his singles and put the bad ball away.

“Tony, he’s a very good lower order batsmen so for him to come out as he did and contribute 49 runs was really helpful for us. I know Tony, he prides himself in his batting and he’ll be disappointed to miss out on a fifty.

“We want to get 300+ if possible. We’ve got a batsman 60 not out and got Fletch and Carts coming in who can dig in and do a job, so we’re going to need them to stick in and allow Shiv to continue to score as many as possible.”

Billy Godleman was captaining Derbyshire as permanent skipper for the first time today, after missed the opening weeks of the season with a broken finger. Having declined his option to bowl first, he won the toss and after choosing the bat was soon off to a flyer alongside Hughes.

The pair looked in little trouble as they raced to a 50 stand inside the first hour, the pitch offering little assistance despite its green tinge. The only chance came when Hughes misjudged a single and would have been run out had Jake Libby’s direct hit been on target.

The ease was such that the breakthrough came as a surprise, with Ben Sanderson finding Godleman’s outside edge and Adam Rossington taking a smart catch standing up to the stumps.

There was a moment of controversy as Richard Levi claimed a catch at short cover from Hughes, only for the umpires to adjudge that it hadn’t carried. It mattered little, however, as two overs later Hughes overbalanced and was well stumped by Rossington off Sanderson shortly before lunch.

At 111-2 it had been the visitor’s morning, but Rory Kleinveldt came out revitalised after the interval, with a three wicket burst in 10 balls. Rutherford fell to the final ball of the opening over, a weak push outside off stump that was caught behind.

Neil Broom soon followed for just four, playing on off Kleinveldt, before Wes Durston went without score, a thin edge giving Rossington his fourth dismissal. Muhammed Azharullah got into the act in the next over, trapping Madsen LBW for 11.

Tom Poynton added 28 with Thakor before chipping Azharullah straight to Levi at short midwicket and, at 161-7, Northants may have had visions of a sub 200 total.

Thakor and Palladino had other ideas, however, as they compiled a patient century stand to frustrate the hosts, Graeme White finding little in assistance in the pitch. Steven Crook, having missed the opening two games with injury, bowled only a single over, costing 10 as he looked far from fit.

Just when it appeared Northants were set it for the new ball, with White and Josh Cobb bowling in tandem, White broke the stand as Palladino was bowled one short of his half century. Thakor remained unbeaten on 60, along with Luke Fletcher on two when bad light ended play prematurely.

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