Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes shared a match-winning partnership of 186 runs as Derbyshire defeated Kent by eight wickets to record their second LV= County Championship win of the season.
Beginning Day Three requiring 63 runs for victory, Godleman and Hughes continued where they left off to take the score to 192-1 before Hughes, the only wicket to fall on the day, was dismissed for 94.
It was then left to stand-in Captain Billy Godleman (82 not out) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (27 not out) to guide their side to victory with more than five sessions remaining in the match.
Wayne White did the damage on Day Two, ripping through the Kent line-up to return career-best figures of 6-25 to bowl Kent out for 112 and set up victory for Derbyshire that had seemed unlikely that morning after conceding a 119-run first-innings deficit.
The victory move Derbyshire to fourth in Division Two as they prepare for the trip to Chelmsford to face Essex on Sunday 14 June.
Godleman and Hughes began the third day unbeaten on 61 and 82 respectively, having defied a pitch that had previously seen wickets tumble to build the highest partnership of the game by some distance.
Hughes continued to play some excellent strokes as he had done on the previous night reaching 94 before Matt Coles, who took 5-24 in the first innings, bowled the all-rounder. The wicket ended a superb 186-run stand which took Derbyshire from 6-1 to 192-2 and in a position to claim victory.
#VICTORY! Dilshan (27*) hits consecutive fours and #DCCC WIN by eight wickets! Godleman finishes 82* #KENvDER #P2bD pic.twitter.com/iA9l00TNK9
— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) June 9, 2015
That brought Dilshan to the crease with Derbyshire only requiring a further 40 runs. Dilshan played some lavish shots, including his famed ‘Dilscoop’, alongside his Captain Godleman to take Derbyshire to the victory target of 232 with eight wickets in hand.
The Sri-Lankan finished unbeaten on 27 from 28 balls whilst Godleman hit his fifth half-century in five LV= County Championship matches to end on 82 not out.
Derbyshire are back in home NatWest T20 Blast action on Thursday 18 June when they welcome Leicestershire Foxes to The 3aaa County Ground.
