Madsen and Guest battle hard for Derbyshire

Wayne Madsen and Brook Guest led a spirited Derbyshire recovery after another record-breaking day against Nottinghamshire in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.

Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett took their stand to 402 from 513 balls, a Nottinghamshire record for the second wicket and the fifth highest for that wicket in the history of the competition.

Duckett made 241 and Hameed 196 before Liam Patterson-White, 54, and James Pattinson, 44 not out, smashed 105 off 85 balls.

Four Derbyshire bowlers conceded more than 100 runs before Nottinghamshire declared on 618 for 8 but Madsen with 57 not out and Guest’s unbeaten 50 guided the home side to 164 for 2, 454 runs behind, at the end of day two.

Duckett and Hameed had several records in their sights at the start of the day but managed only one before Derbyshire finally broke the stand.

Hameed drove Sam Conners through mid on for four to beat the 398 by Arthur Shrewsbury and Billy Gunn against Sussex at Trent Bridge in 1890.

They were five away from breaking the highest ever Nottinghamshire stand for any wicket of 406 set by Martin Bicknell and Guy Welton against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 2000 when Duckett chopped Ben Aitchison into his stumps.

That was the start of a good morning for Derbyshire who picked up five more wickets before Patterson-White and Pattinson cut loose after lunch.

Conners beat Joe Clarke with a swinging delivery and Hameed became becalmed after taking a blow on the helmet trying to pull George Scrimshaw who had Lyndon James caught behind in his next over.

Steven Mullaney pulled Scrimshaw to deep square leg and Tom Moores edged a drive at Aitchison before Hameed’s excellent innings finally ended.
The England batter tried to drive Aitchison for the boundary that would have taken him to a double hundred but only found the hands of Hilton Cartwright at point.

Hameed threw back his head in disappointment which was probably echoed by his team who failed to make the progress they would have expected although Derbyshire bowled well in cooler conditions.

It was a different story after lunch as Patterson-White and Pattinson powered their side to the ninth highest innings total at Derby.
Patterson-White drove Mattie McKiernan for his third six to reach 50 from 46 balls before the visitors called a halt when he missed another big shot at the leg-spinner.

Faced with such a huge total after nearly a day-and-a-half in the field, Derbyshire could have lost early wickets but Luis Reece and Harry Came negotiated the first 12 overs, helped by a wayward opening spell from Pattinson.

Reece profited when Pattinson strayed onto his pads but when Luke Fletcher switch to the Racecourse End, he skied a pull to mid on.

The same shot brought about Came’s downfall when he miscued to short mid-wicket which left Guest and Madsen to regroup.

Madsen survived a searching examination from Dane Paterson who had three lbw appeals rejected and saw Clarke fail to hold a head high chance at first slip.

The prolific right-hander was on 12 at the time and he made the most of that escape by completing a 90 ball 50 while Guest reached his half-century from 134 to raise Derbyshire’s hopes of avoiding defeat.

Ben Aitchison said: “That was our aim this morning, we knew we had to take wickets to try and get a bonus point as well. In terms of the run rate we slowed them down really well until towards the end when they threw the willow.

“I think Guesty (Brook Guest) and Mads (Wayne Madsen) showed how to bat on this pitch so we need to get that partnership going again tomorrow and see where it take us.”

England return to The Incora County Ground – tickets on sale now!

Heather Knight’s England side are aiming to extend their unbeaten streak in Derby with T20s against South Africa and India this summer.