The match between Leicestershire and Derbyshire ended in a draw that had looked nailed-on throughout the day, despite captain Wayne Madsen inevitably making runs.
Out for 96, 41-year-old Madsen missed out on notching his seventh century in this fixture. Nonetheless, his record in 26 first-class matches against Leicestershire stands at 2,150 runs at an average of 63.23.
The home side, leading by 382 overnight, batted on for a further eight overs in their second innings before declaring nine wickets down to set Derbyshire an unlikely target of 449 from a minimum 86 overs. They were 305 for four with a possible six more overs remaining when the sides shook hands on a draw.
Australian Caleb Jewell’s 73 extended his start as a Derbyshire player to four half-centuries in four innings, while Brooke Guest finished 68 not out.
The pitch had yielded runs at a healthy 4.36 per over across the first three innings but 5.22 per over always looked a mightily tall order. Likewise, taking 10 wickets with little evidence of deterioration in the surface looked a remote prospect for the home side.
Derbyshire’s biggest fourth-innings total to win a match against county opposition is 365 for seven against Nottinghamshire in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020, at Trent Bridge; against all opponents it is 371 for nine against the Australian tourists at Derby in 1997.
Leicestershire rattled off another 66 runs for the loss of one wicket before skipper Peter Handscomb signalled the declaration at 357 for nine, which made their pedestrian progress over the final 90 minutes of the third day suggest they were already ready to settle for a high-scoring draw after opening their season with a win.
Jack Morley, Derbyshire’s left-arm spinner, conceded 34 runs in his last four overs compared with 50 in his first 22.
Ben Mike, padded up on the Leicestershire balcony while Ben Green and Logan van Beek were blocking their way through 18 overs on Sunday evening, hammered an unbeaten 38 from 26 balls, including sixes off Morley and Blair Tickner. He and Tom Scriven added 55 from 40 balls after Green had clipped Morley straight to short midwicket in the second over.
As Derbyshire began the nominal pursuit of their target, Logan van Beek had David Lloyd caught by second slip Handscomb in the sixth over, the captain taking his second catch as the only slip when Ian Holland had a tentative Harry Came dangling the bat two overs after lunch.
The combination of Jewell and Madsen took out another 20 overs before the Leicestershire attack could make further inroads. The Australian left-hander, who has made half-centuries in each of his first four Derbyshire innings, was impressive in making 50 from 53 balls but had become a little bogged down when he was bowled off a bottom edge by Scriven for 73.
He and Madsen had added 87, the latter passing fifty for the 20th time in first-class matches against Leicestershire.
While he and Jewell were together, the more optimistic Derbyshire followers might have imagined they had a chance, although it would be hard to imagine a more tenuous one.
Madsen kept it just about alive, surviving a difficult chance to wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Ben Green on 64. After adding a six down the ground off Rehan Ahmed to 13 fours, another hundred looked his for the taking until, one more boundary away, he dragged one on from Ben Mike.
With a minimum 24.4 overs still potentially left, Leicestershire might have caused some panic for the visitors had they been able to whip out another couple quickly, but Brooke Guest and Luis Reece denied them.
Derbyshire Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, said: “They put us under pressure in the early part of the game but I felt we came back well. Apart from maybe three sessions of the game it has pretty even stevens.
“In the end, the target they set, 445 or whatever it was, it was just too many. We’ve ended up 305 for four with six overs to go. If it had been 380 you would think you could really have a crack.
“They played well and put us under the pump. If we had been in the same position we would have done the same thing in terms of the declaration. As the season progresses you would look at making more sporting declarations but not at this stage, it is too early.
“To start with a win and a draw is a decent return for us. There are a lot of good things happening in the dressing room. We’ve got a lot of belief in our ability to do well this year.”
