Wayne White took career best figures of 6-25, before Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes shared an unbeaten 163-run stand to put Derbyshire on the charge for victory against Kent at Canterbury.
After being bundled out for 86 early on Day Two, Derbyshire looked in trouble when Kent were well set on 73-2 with a lead of 192 runs. But White produced an inspired spell of bowling to claim six wickets in 9.4 overs to help dismiss Kent for 112, as eight wickets tumbled for just 39 runs with Mark Footitt (2-24) also in the wickets.
Having been set 232 runs to achieve victory, Hughes (82*) and Godleman (61*) batted throughout the final session to share an unbroken partnership of 163 as Derbyshire closed on 169-1; requiring a further 63 runs for victory.
Elite Performance Director, Graeme Welch said: “Wayne pulled his side about six weeks ago and has taken some time to get back into form. He struggled on day one with a lack of rhythm, if anything, so I told him today to bowl down the hill, take the handbrake off and trust his skills, and that’s what he did.
“He’s a really good cricketer when he is confident enough to trust his talent. He can get good players out. He wasn’t in the best of moods after day one and just sat in his hotel room most of last night contemplating what had gone wrong, but it shows the character of the lad, and the team, as to how well they came back from being bowled out for 86 and conceding that considerable first-innings lead.
“There was a six-over spell when we totally lost control with the ball on day one because so many of our guys had never bowled here before and they all struggled to adjust to the slopes. But fair play to them, they’ve come back well today.”
Derbyshire were bowled out for just 86 in the morning session, with Tom Poynton and Tom Taylor falling victim to Ivan Thomas, before Tony Palladino (27) went to the same bowler after his brief cameo came to an end.
Kent began their second innings with a lead of 119 and suffered an early setback as Palladino trapped Joe Denly lbw in the fifth over for just six.
Derbyshire took two quick wickets on the cusp of lunch as White removed Key’s off-stump for 18, before Bell-Drummond was spectacularly run out by Tom Taylor whilst on 45 from the final ball of the morning session to leave Kent 73-3.
White was on fire after lunch as he took two wickets in two balls, bowling Fabian Cowdrey for 7 before Darren Stevens was then adjudged lbw from the first ball he faced.
He then clean bowled Ryan Davies, who went without scoring to seal a pair on debut, before Footitt dislodged Haggett’s off stump with the visitors mounting a spirited fightback in the afternoon session.
Footitt, who had bowled well all morning without reward, then got his second in quick succession as Coles was trapped in front for six.
White claimed his five-wicket haul halfway through the session as Adam Riley was caught behind by Poynton without contributing to the scorebook, before wrapping up the innings by grabbing his sixth as Sam Northeast was superbly caught by a retreating Dilshan for 29. White ended with career-best figures of 6-25 off his 9.4 overs, which included two maidens.
Kent had lost their last eight wickets for just 39 runs to be skittled out for 112, meaning that Derbyshire required 232 runs to claim what would be a remarkable victory.
The visitors lost Ben Slater in the first over of their reply as he was lbw to Matt Coles for two, but Captain Godleman and Hughes adopted an attacking approach to guide their side through to tea on 70-1 to complete an incredible session for the visitors.
The partnership soared into three-figures after tea with Hughes bringing up his half-century early on in the final session.
Godleman then brought up his fifth half-century in five matches as both players got to grips with a pitch that had proved difficult to bat on for both sides.
The duo shared an unbroken stand of 163 as Derbyshire closed on 169-1; just 63 runs short of their victory target of 232.
Photography: David Griffin
Derbyshire are back in home NatWest T20 Blast action on Thursday 18 June when they welcome Leicestershire Foxes to The 3aaa County Ground.
