Super County prove persistence pays off

Date: Sunday 18 April 2010

A high-class display in the arts of patience, concentration, skill and belief ensured Leicestershire won for the second LV=County Championship game running against Derbyshire at the County Ground.

Although Derbyshire were sitting relatively pretty at 105-1 shortly after lunch, County’s bowlers stuck to their tasks magnificently to bowl out their opponents for 199 and won by 203 runs in the process.

Nathan Buck continued his fabulous match with 3-35 from 20 overs, including the major breakthrough of Wayne Madsen, who made 109 for the hosts in a five-and-a-half hour vigil at the crease.

However, it was very much a team effort and AJ Harris also took a three-for while Matthew Hoggard and Claude Henderson claimed a brace apiece.

It all meant that Leicestershire won their first Championship match on the road since 2006, when Henderson’s heroics with the bat helped the team defeat Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Persistence from the bowlers was always going to be important as Derbyshire started the day requiring an unlikely 390 more to win and County striving for nine wickets.

The home side were never going to lie down and have their bellies tickled. It was certainly Derbyshire’s opening session as they got through unscathed and accumulated 83 runs in 34 overs in the process.

However, County – inspired by Hoggard – hit back after the interval in fine style. The skipper struck two early blows and in the afternoon period, Derbyshire were 70-5 in effect.

It left them on 166-6 at tea, and after the break, Leicestershire took the final four wickets at a cost of just 33 runs. It meant that nine wickets had fallen for 94 in all.

Madsen was the main barrier to victory. The South African made a hundred but when he was eighth man out, the writing was on the wall for the hosts, who had gone into the game buoyed by a big victory at Surrey - ironically, by the same margin as County won by here.

Madsen and Paul Borrington were determined to make life awkward in the opening passage and both got through to lunch unscathed in contrasting styles.

The opening batsman wanted to score freely when he could, while Borrington was happy to dig in and not overly worry about runs. With an unlikely victory target, you couldn’t blame the young man for adopting such an approach.

Hoggard and Buck opened the bowling with gusto but Madsen looked in good touch. He drove handsomely to the boundary twice as Derbyshire got though the opening half hour with no dramas.

Harris was introduced and immediately got one through Madsen’s defences but unfortunately for the seamer, the batsman didn’t get a touch.

Henderson also came on for an early bowl. It was widely felt that the slow left armer was going to be critical to the outcome and he was on for the tenth over of the day.

He went on to bowl 28 overs throughout proceedings, which came at a cost of just 32 runs and the spinner took two wickets to boot. It has been an outstanding start to the season for Henderson, who is taking his first-class wickets at exactly ten apiece.

Henderson caused problems from the off. The spinner turned one past Borrington’s outside edge and started with a maiden. Henderson then induced an edge from Madsen but the ball looped to safety.

The pair took their stand past 50 with Madsen contributing more than two-third of the runs but Borrington’s role should not have been under-estimated.

The former Loughborough University student was playing watchfully; it took 95 balls before he found the ropes. Henderson did extract massive bounce to cause him problems with one delivery but the young man was battling hard.

Hoggard kept shuffling the pack and Saturday’s batting hero Wayne White was introduced. Madsen moved to a 79-ball fifty in that over and showed aggressive intent against Henderson shortly after.

Trying not to let the spinner settle, he was using his feet to good effect. It was a slightly risky strategy in the circumstances but it was paying dividends with two fours in the 29th over.

It was an interesting battle between Henderson and Madsen, who wanted to advance down the ground whenever possible. That kept the spinner interested but the batsman was forcing him to rethink his length.

Hoggard returned and tried a different line of attack around the wicket at Borrington and the batter was not looking totally convincing. Still, he got through until lunch unbeaten and played a nice on drive for four off Buck after the interval.

Hoggard and Buck came out and sent down fiery bursts though and the captain claimed a much-needed breakthrough.

Borrington played across the line and was snared leg-before by the seamer. It had been a careful innings by the batsman; his 25 runs came from 131 balls with just the two boundaries.

It gave County a boost and Hoggard had a massive appeal for caught behind for Madsen turned down by umpire Trevor Jesty shortly afterwards. The batsman looked as though he was walking but was just having a stroll towards square leg.

Still, Leicestershire were giving it their all and suddenly momentum was being gained from the captain’s excellent spell.

Buck was backing him up well and struck new man Garry Park on the helmet. After a lengthy stoppage, the youngster ripped a snorter past the outside edge.

Park responded with a driven four but fell shortly afterwards. Hoggard was again in the wickets; he got the edge and Will Jefferson took a good catch at second slip.

Hoggard was bowling an inspired spell and got one past Greg Smith first ball. Buck was also impressive and peppered Smith with some short stuff too. Like Park, the batsman took a blow to the head.

Buck took a well-earned breather and Henderson re-entered the equation. Harris replaced the captain and Smith dug in alongside Madsen.

The spinner went over the wicket to look for some rough and the odd ball was spitting. Madsen was prepared to kick the ball away though and again, the team were having to think on their feet.

Harris was not enjoying the best of fortune but he was striving hard as he always does. The seamer then got a critical double burst which really set the ball rolling.

Smith was bowled neck and crop by a fine ball and Dan Redfern nibbled at his first delivery. Tom New completed the job and it was game on at 163-5 with 39 overs remaining.

It bought Peterson to the wicket and he fell shortly after to become Henderson’s first wicket. An ill-judged sweep went staright down the throat of Josh Cobb at deep square-leg, who took a comfortable catch.

From a position of some strength, Derbyshire were wobbling as three wickets had fallen for one run in the space of three overs. The home side were now 164-6 with 36 overs left in the day.

It was all happening now and County’s patience was being rewarded by a period of dominance. Henderson enticed Lee Goddard to push forward and Matthew Boyce nearly pounced at silly mid-off. That left the score on 166-6 at tea.

When Goddard played and missed at a straight delivery from the spinner just after the break, a fourth wicket had fallen in the space of seven runs either side of the interval and County sniffed blood.

Madsen was still battling away despite the relative chaos at the other end and bought up his century from the 214th ball he faced. The knock included eleven fours and the opener deserved his ton for the application shown.

Although Madsen was proving to be a stumbling block, the new ball was around the corner and Cobb came on just prior to the taking of it. He got Tim Groenewald to edge a ball and Jefferson got a hand on it.

The wickets just before the new cherry had opened the game up and now Buck and Hoggard were back for fresh spells.

The next phase was going to decide the outcome of an absorbing contest. It was fitting that Buck helped to turn in County’s favour.

Buck, who ended with match figures of 35-13-79-7, took two fantastic wickets in the space of three balls.

The youngster claimed the critical wicket of Madsen shortly before the last hour was called. After hours of tough graft, he got an inside edge onto pad and James Taylor took the catch at short-leg.

Steffan Jones then fell to his second ball as Boyce held on to a good catch at first slip and victory was now in sights.

Groenewald and Mark Footitt were the last line of defence and they were not going to give up without a fight.

Fittingly, though, White held the final catch – a good diving effort – to remove Groenewald off Harris. The all-rounder’s ton on the third day had set up a winning position and he had helped to finish the job.

Harris, meanwhile, finished with a valuable 3-43. His two previous wickets had helped set up the charge and it was nice for two former Derbyshire men to have the final say here.

Credit to Derbyshire too, who played their part in an intriguing game. There were lots of twists and turns on a good cricket wicket; batsmen looked immovable at times, and extremely vulnerable at others as wickets fell in clusters.

County were full value for their win though. Everyone contributed to the team performance, which was excellent throughout, and there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful at Grace Road at the moment.