Kent v Derbyshire: Godleman sees the visitors home
Tuesday 9th June 2015
Derbyshire wrapped up their second win of the LV= County Championship season with an eight-wicket success over Kent in Canterbury with more than a day to spare.
Requiring 232 for victory, the visitors, resuming on their second-day total of 169 for one, lost Chesney Hughes late in the pursuit for 94, but otherwise suffered no further alarm as Kent slipped to their fourth defeat of the summer in Division Two.
Hughes, who hit 13 fours and six in his 179-ball stay, was six short of a deserved hundred, having helped add 186 in tandem with second-wicket partner Billy Godleman until Matt Coles plucked out his middle stump.
Godleman saw the job through with an unbeaten 82, leaving Tillakaratne Dilshan (27 not out) to hit the winning boundary with a trademark over-the-shoulder scoop to fine leg as Derbyshire romped home with 178.4 overs in hand.
Kent took only four points while Derbyshire banked 19 for their first win at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence since April 1999.
Derbyshire's delighted acting captain Godleman said: "It was an incredible game of cricket and really enjoyable to be a part of. I'm so pleased we were able to see it through this morning.
"I think Coles bowled very well for Kent in our first innings, but our new-ball bowlers (Mark) Footitt and (Tony) Palladino, together with (Wayne) White in their second innings, were all high class for us.
"I'm fortunate to have Footitt and Palladino and they make my life as skipper much easier than it might be otherwise. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to lead Derbyshire – it's been a real honour to lead my friends out.
"You just never know what can happen in cricket if you keep on believing. The trend of the game was for wickets to fall in clusters, so that was our focus second time around, to be patient, and that paid dividends."
Defeated Kent skipper Sam Northeast called for his batting unit to lend more support to the bowling attack.
He said: "I'm very disappointed. When you're almost 120 runs ahead, you expect to go on and build in a game.
"Even at lunch on day two I felt we were in a decent position, but then the big collapse came, and we've already had a chat about that as a group.
"I felt the bowlers didn't get the luck they deserved or the support from our attack, and the game just drifted away from us."