Derbyshire claim eight wickets on Day Three

After two days lost to the weather, Leicestershire finished on 264 for eight after their season-ending Vitality County Championship with East Midlands neighbours Derbyshire at last saw some action.

With Derbyshire’s 17th Championship wooden spoon confirmed by Glamorgan’s victory over Gloucestershire, this match has little at stake beyond local pride, although Leicestershire could overtake Northamptonshire to finish fourth in Division Two.

Leicestershire opener Sol Budinger will remember it at least for a career-best 87. There was a half-century, too, for Liam Trevaskis.

Derbyshire’s spinners prospered in the final session of an 80-over day. Mitch Wagstaff, in his sixth first-class match, finished with two for 24 from his leg breaks, his best figures so far, with skipper David Lloyd picking up three wickets from his offies.

Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, similarly hit by the late-September rain, forfeited an innings each to facilitate a positive result in Cardiff. For there to be a winner here, it may need a similar arrangement.

After the downpours of the first two days, the start of day three was delayed until noon. On a green-tinged pitch, Derbyshire opted to bowl first after the toss had gone their way and should have had early wickets to show for it.

But catching has not been their strong suit this season – not much has, by the evidence of the table. Ian Holland, on three and again on nine, plus Budinger on 42 were given lives in the hour of play before lunch.

All three chances were created at the pavilion end. Holland was spilled by wicketkeeper Brooke Guest off Zak Chappell, before Martin Andersson saw Aneurin Donald give Holland his second let-off at gully and Budinger put down by Lloyd at first slip in his next over.

At the other end, Budinger had profited from five boundaries in the same over as the 17-year-old pace prospect Harry Moore struggled to find the right length and Leicestershire were 54 without loss at the first interval.

Holland, his luck plainly in, enjoyed a third escape not long after the restart, Guest again unable to cling on down the leg side as the former Hampshire all-rounder top-edged a pull on 28, Moore having returned at the more favourable end.

They were not inexpensive mistakes. Budinger, a left-hander with natural ball-striking talent, reached 51 from 40 deliveries with his ninth four and went on to pass his previous first-class best of 72 with his 14th boundary. A maiden century looked his for the taking until, 13 runs away from it, he shaped to drive the left-arm seamer Luis Reece but somehow managed to spoon the ball into the hands of the bowler.

The wicket was all-rounder Reece’s 200th in all formats for Derbyshire to go with more than 8,000 runs. He is the first to achieve both those milestones for the county since Dominic Cork in the 1990s.

Budinger’s partnership with Holland, which was worth four at the moment of the first dropped catch, had put on 120.  Reece picked up his second wicket in the same spell when Holland cut straight to the man at backward point for 44.

Lewis Hill, in his first appearance since announcing he would step down as captain at the end of the season, twice cut Chappell to the boundary before driving him handsomely down the ground for another but was adjudged leg before to Chappell – Derbyshire’s player of the year – just before tea.

Harry Swindells, making only his second Championship appearance of the season, helped Trevaskis take the total beyond 200 but departed in comically dreadful fashion, ballooning an awful full toss straight to mid-on as Wagstaff took a wicket with his fourth delivery.

Trevaskis completed his second half-century of the season before being bowled by Lloyd for 57, before Ben Mike and Ben Green were both caught behind to give the two spinners another wicket apiece, Lloyd picking up his third as Tom Scriven was leg before sweeping.

Derbyshire’s Luis Reece said: “It was always going to be tough after two days washed out. You kind of need somebody to be skittled to get a result and hopefully that won’t be  us tomorrow.

“We saw what Glamorgan and Gloucestershire did to get a result but as far as I know we are looking to play a proper game of cricket and let things happen naturally.

“It is an opportunity to try to build a bit of confidence going into next year by trying to establish a bit of rhythm, expose the players to different situations that will help move the club forward. We have had a tough season. The table doesn’t lie but even when there is nothing a stake, each game is an opportunity to find something, maybe a little bit of a spark to take forward.

“I thought we bowled pretty well all day considering the ball wasn’t doing a great deal. The way Waggy and Lloydy bowled this evening, taking wickets and controlling the rate, was great. They were able to land it on a length where it nipped rather than spun and that created a few chances.

“Sol (Budinger) played really well and put us under a bit of pressure, getting them off to a flyer, but we managed to come back well. To get them eight down brings a little bit of confidence after a tough few weeks and hopefully we can bat well  tomorrow and finish the season on a better note.”