Battling batsmen hold up Derbyshire

Date: Thursday 13 August 2009

Day Three Report: Leicestershire 177 (Taylor 45, Jones 4-43) and 154-2 (Boyce 72*, Dippenaar 37, Ackerman 29*) trail Derbyshire 478-8 dec (Rogers 163, Smith 95, Henderson 3-93) by 147 runs at Grace Road.

A far more disciplined batting performance by Leicestershire in their second innings has given the team a chance of gaining a draw in the Championship match against Derbyshire.

After the visitors declared 301 runs ahead on 478-8, Matthew Boyce’s patient unbeaten 72 led County to 154-2 by stumps on the third day.

Boyce shared stands of 107 with Boeta Dippenaar (37) and an unbeaten 47 with HD Ackerman (29*), which ensured County lost only two wickets in the 51 overs faced, and means the team reduced the deficit to 147 by stumps with eight wickets in hand.

Earlier in the day, Chris Rogers’ fine 163 ensured his side gained a substantial first-innings lead before pulling out in the afternoon session.

County took five wickets before lunch, but Derbyshire’s run rate was ever-increasing as they batted with a view to a declaration.

Leics needed to keep the visitors in check, but hopes of a tight start were scuppered when six boundaries came within the first three overs.

Greg Smith (95) drove nicely through the covers, point and mid on, while Rogers also played two superb cover drives as the visitors got off to a flyer.

County were in desperate need of a wicket and AJ Harris was finally rewarded for his efforts with the opening breakthrough.

The seamer sent Smith's stumps flying to end an entertaining stand of 190, with Derbyshire 321-3 at that stage.

Rogers was undeterred by the dismissal, passing 150 with his 12th four; a flick through mid-wicket from the 295th ball faced.

The Aussie continued on his way, lofting his first six shortly after when using his feet well against Jigar Naik.

However, he fell on the pull when Wayne White entered the attack. The batsman had played that particular stroke extremely well up to that point but misjudged on this occasion to James Taylor at deep square-leg to end his lengthy stay at the wicket.

It led to an interesting period before lunch, as both runs and wickets were on the menu.

Wavell Hinds (40) took some time to settle in, but when he did, two fours and three sixes came in quick succession.

Dan Redfern was trying to be positive, and hit his straps with a fluent cover drive and a cut which also raced to the ropes.

The England under-19 international was to perish as he had prospered. White found his outside edge when the youngster scratched through to Tom New looking for an expansive drive.

The second Hinds’ maximum bought up full batting points for the visitors and another straight six followed in the next over.

The all-action theme was continued when the batsman attempted a similar stroke off Naik, and the bowler gained revenge as Hinds holed out to White at mid-on after not getting enough on the stroke.

With Graham Wagg unable to bat due to a shoulder injury, Tim Groenewald was next in. His stay was short and not at all sweet as he was trapped leg-before by Claude Henderson (3-93) first ball, which meant the visitors had lost three wickets at the addition of just 15 runs.

They went into lunch on 415-7 with a more than useful lead of 238 at that point and Jamie Pipe then shared two useful stands with Steffan Jones (19 from 22) and Mark Lawson (14 from 20) as the visitors continued their pursuit of quick runs.

Jones helped his keeper share 36 for the eighth wicket and added some lusty blows before perishing in an attacking manner; attempting an ambitious reverse-sweep that went straight to Boyce off Henderson at backward point.

Pipe played a number of attractive cover drives in his unbeaten 32 and then added an unbeaten 28 with Lawson, whose knock included a six over mid-on.

The visitors pulled out at the end of the 130th over, by which time they had extended their lead beyond 300.

No doubt County's batsmen had spoke long and hard about the need for application second time around, and in that respect, the reply got off to a terrible start when Greg Smith chipped a catch to mid-wicket.

However, Boyce and Dippenaar got stuck in and played their shots when the opportunity arose. The opener played a couple of nice cover drives early on while Dippenaar stroked two lovely strokes through the straight v early on.

Jones was probing away though and he enticed Boyce to edge when on 17. Fortunately for County, Pipe couldn’t hold on diving to his left.

Boyce was intent to make Derbyshire pay, continuing to score heavily through cover and point. He was unbeaten on 34 at tea, with Dippenaar on 24 and the total on 65-1.

The duo continued in fine form after the break, with Boyce moving to a 107-ball fifty with his eighth four - a glance off leg-spinner Lawson.

Dippenaar also knuckled down again but was undone by the introduction of Redfern into the attack.

After padding up his first over, Dippenaar decided to take the attack to the off-spinner by shuffling down the crease, but succeeded only in picking out the safe hands of Park at mid-wicket.

County could ill-afford to lose any more of their top order before the close, and Ackerman dutifully batted through alongside Boyce.

The batsman began in fine style by picking off Redfern for a two and a three through cover, before blazing Groenewald through the same region.

The duo dealt with everything thrown at them, and the visitors were certainly not shy to try things in the pursuit of wickets.

Rogers changed the bowlers regularly and also utilised the multi-skilled all-rounder Smith to the maximum as he bowled spin at Boyce and sent down medium pace at Ackerman in the same over.

It was quirky stuff from Derbyshire, but County got through without further loss. There is still a lot of hard work to do, but with Wagg unable to bowl with his injury and a pitch that is still good for batting, there is hope that the team can deny the visitors victory.