INTERVIEW & REPORT | Derbyshire beaten despite Day Four defiance

Zak Chappell and Alex Thomson made defiant half-centuries, but Derbyshire were unable to stave off defeat to Leicestershire in the Rothesay County Championship. 

Once again England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed enjoyed another memorable day, taking three wickets to end with 7 for 93 and match figures of 13 for 144 to become the first Leicestershire player to take more than 12 wickets and score a century in the same game since Fred Geeson in 1901 at Glossop.

Leicestershire’s sixth win of the season takes them 34 points clear of second place Glamorgan with Derbyshire dropping down to third.

Derbyshire can take consolation from the way they made the visitors work hard  for the win before they were bowled out for 256.

After Zak Chappell made 50, the last pair of Alex Thomson, who scored  55, and Jack Morley with 12, resisted for 156 balls before Ian Holland clinched victory with 23 overs remaining.

The previous evening Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen had spoken about the importance of showing resilience and his team certainly did that starting with the overnight pair of Brooke Guest and Aneurin Donald.

Ahmed continued to bowl from the City End while England pace bowler Josh Hull peppered the pair with short pitched deliveries.

Guest was struck on the hand and Donald took a couple of blows to the body along with one to the helmet but the readers were frustrated until a change of bowling did the trick.

Ben Green took over from Ahmed and in his second over he brought one back to beat the forward defensive push of Donald.

Ahmed switched ends and he celebrated his fifth wicket of the innings and 11th of the match by having Guest caught at short leg for 32.

Another bowling change brought the next wicket with Louis Kimber taking over from Ahmed and trapping Luis Reece lbw with one that straightened to hit him in front.

Derbyshire got to lunch without further setbacks and when Leicestershire took the new ball, Zak Chappell took three fours from a Liam Trevaskis over.

The entertainment continued with Chappell reverse sweeping Ahmed for his 1oth four to reach 50 from 78 balls but when he went for another big shot against the leg-spinner he was caught at wide long on.

When Ahmed bowled Blair Tickner in his next over, it seemed only a matter of time but Thomson and Morley dug in to delay the tea interval.

Thomson edged Logan van Beek past a diving Peter Hanscomb to reach 50 but when Holland was brought on for the first time, his third ball was edged by Thomson and Rishi Patel took a one handed catch at slip to end a compelling contest.

One-Day Cricket returns this August!

The Metro Bank One-Day Cup returns for the school holidays, with four huge Falcons home games coming up.

From a local derby against Notts Outlaws, to the Tap Takeover for the visit of Surrey, plus the return to Repton School to face Worcestershire Rapids and our Community Fixture against Essex, there’s so much action to enjoy this August!