REPORT & INTERVIEW | Derbyshire denied victory on final day

Middlesex held firm on the final day at Derby, after a mammoth effort in the field from the home side couldn’t break the stern resistance.

Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, praised the team effort over the last four days as Derbyshire dominated a draw against Middlesex.

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Ryan Higgins scored 56, his first 50 of the season, sharing a seventh wicket stand of 75 from 155 balls with Zafar Gohar who was unbeaten on 52 off 108 balls to take Middlesex to 307 for 7, 150 ahead, when the teams shook hands on a draw.

Max Holden with 94 and Stephen Eskinazi, 61, had added 169 for the second wicket only to throw their wickets away in the last over before lunch.

Derbyshire’s hopes lifted when the visitors slipped to 220-6 but Higgins and Gohar stood firm to deny them although the draw takes them to second place, 13 points behind leaders Leicestershire.

Middlesex started the morning 97 runs behind needing to bat deep into the day to deny Derbyshire victory.

Their first objective was to deny the hosts early wickets on a pitch that was offering turn and Eskinazi and Holden started well although both had moments of good fortune.

Eskinazi edged Blair Tickner between first and second slip to the third man boundary before Holden was given a reprieve on 46.

He swept Jack Morley hard to short mid-wicket where Tickner could only parry the ball in front of his face.

It was a tough chance with Tickner doing well to get his hands up to protect himself and the rest of the session was largely uneventful until Middlesex inexplicably pressed the self-destruct button in the last over before lunch.

Holden had passed 500 runs for the season and was closing on a third century in seven innings when he went for a big slog sweep at Morley and was bowled.

Perhaps he was trying to get to three figures before the interval but given the game situation it was an irresponsible dismissal.

What followed bordered on farce as Leus du Plooy, batting with a runner, drove the ball towards the cover boundary where Harry Came’s return to the bowler’s end ran out Eskinazi who had raced down the pitch looking for a third run.

Those two dismissals had opened the door for Derbyshire who gave it another firm shove after the interval.

Du Plooy injured his right foot batting in the first innings and a Tickner yorker struck his left foot in line to send him hobbling back to the pavilion.

Four runs later, Ben Geddes got an inside edge off Alex Thomson onto pad and Caleb Jewell dived at leg slip to take the catch.

Chappell then produced a beauty to have Jack Davies caught behind but Gohar and Higgins got to tea with Middlesex 86 ahead.

Derbyshire took the second new ball but the pair continued to steer their side towards safety until Higgins swept Thomson to deep square leg with the visitors 138 ahead.

But Gohar completed his 50 with his second six and Derbyshire shook hands with 15 overs remaining.