Derbyshire declare on day 3 with healthy lead
Tuesday 28th June 2016
Derbyshire’s Wayne Madsen and Shiv Thakor hit centuries as their side built a first-innings lead of 195 before declaring on day three of the Specsavers County Championship clash at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.
Madsen’s fourth century of the summer took the East Midlands’ county beyond Kent’s 379 all out by 12.35pm. Yet the visitors – who have yet to win a four-day game this season – batted on until 5pm before calling time on their season’s-best total.
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Even when Thakor departed after posting a 147-ball century including 10 fours and a six, still Derbyshire batted on for another 12 overs.
With rain forecast for the final afternoon of the match, pundits and supporters alike were questioning the wisdom of Derbyshire’s decision to bat on.
While Kent pace bowler Mitch Claydon, when fielding at third man, was heard to say: “163 overs! I don’t think I’ve ever fielded for 163 overs. Why?”
Derbyshire had started the day sitting pretty on 291 for three and, on a pitch that had lost its opening day fizz, Kent were made to bowl for another five hours in order to claim six more wickets.
The hosts made their first breakthrough of the day during the fifth over of the morning when Claydon, bowling down the Nackington Road slope, removed Nick Broom (26) lbw with a full-length off-cutter that trapped the right hander on his crease.
Madsen moved to his 22th century in Derbyshire colours with a clipped boundary through square leg off the bowling of Matt Hunn. It was his ninth four and came from the 183rd ball he had faced.
Soon after, left-handed Ben Slater prodded forward offering no shot to one from James Tredwell that clipped the top of off-sump to make it 353 for five.
Madsen and Thakor combined thereafter to post 144 in 37 overs, setting a new sixth-wicket record for games between these two counties by beating the 136 set by Garnet Lee and Thomas Worthington at Derby in 1926.
Madsen’s fun ended after almost six hours when he played across one from Hunn to go lbw for a season’s best 163.
Thakor posted his 147-ball century with a straight six off Tredwell but was then dropped twice in consecutive overs by Alex Blake, firstly at extra cover and then long-on. Darren Stevens and Tredwell were the unfortunate bowlers.
Tom Poynton (8) miscued to mid-on, then Thakor’s luck ran out when he chipped to mid-on yet, with his side 181 ahead, but Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman elected to bat on. Ben Cotton (7) had his off stump uprooted by Hunn, eventually sparking the declaration, albeit seven balls later.
Despite fading light and a touch of drizzle in the air, Kent openers Tom Latham and Sean Dickson reached 32 without loss before rain took the sides off with three of the day’s scheduled overs remaining.
With Derbyshire’s new-ball bowler Will Davis seemingly out of action – he suffered a recurrence of a hip injury on day two whilst trying to stop a drive in his follow-through – the likelihood is this game will end in a draw on Wednesday.