CHESTERFIELD

Day three of four (Northamptonshire won toss)

Derbyshire (269-5) trail Northamptonshire by 130 runs.

Lunch

After the washout on Thursday, play at last got underway at 11.20am with Northants resuming on 382 for six. They failed, however, to register a fifth batting point thanks to some outstanding bowling from Charl Langeveldt, who returned five for 52 from 25 overs, his best figures of the season.

Langeveldt began by dismissing Alex Wakely thanks to a brilliant one-handed catch to his left at first slip by Chris Rogers. The South African swing bowler then bowled night-watchman David Lucas off his pads and had Andrew Hall caught behind, pushing forward defensively to an out swinger. With just a single needed by Northants for a full house of batting points, last man Jason Brown was leg before half forward to an in-swinger from Graham Wagg.

Rogers was in scintillating form with the bat, driving three glorious fours through the covers in Lucas’ first over. That onslaught persuaded Nicky Boje to introduce his left arm spin as early as the fourth over of the innings. There was a little turn for him, but he soon reverted to seam at both ends. By lunch, Rogers had moved on to 25 with Paul Borrington seven not out after 14 overs at the crease.

Tea

Chris Rogers and Paul Borrington extended their opening partnership to 70 in 28 overs before the latter was caught at slip off Nicky Boje, who extracted some turn bowling over the wicket. Borrington, a student at Loughborough University, eked out eight runs in his stay of nearly two hours at the crease, while Rogers galloped to his 50 from 74 balls with nine fours.

Boje demonstrated his imagination as captain by whipping himself out of the attack as soon as Borrington was dismissed, bringing Andrew Hall on in his place at the City end. In his first over, Hall persuaded the Australian left hander to give a return catch off a leading edge. He finished with 57. A light shower brought the players off for a break, prompting the umpires to take an early tea, with no overs having been lost at the re-start.

Close

The final session of an eventful day was won by Derbyshire who saved the follow-on thanks to an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 97 between Greg Smith and Jon Clare. The pair came together when Jamie Pipe was leg before to Johan Louw at 172, with 78 still needed to make Northamptonshire bat again.

Smith reached a painstaking 50 from 131 balls with six fours, while Clare played some of the most eye-catching strokes of the day in his unbeaten 50. The Burnley-born all-rounder has found Northamptonshire’s bowling very much to his liking of late, for he made a century off them last month in the corresponding fixture at Wantage Road. Thanks to his and Smith’s efforts, the two captains will need to come to an arrangement on the final day – contrivance as it used to be known in three day cricket – if there is to be any hope of a positive outcome to this rain affected match. Another good crowd of 2,000, approximately twice the typical attendance at Derby, turned out at the beautiful Queen’s Park ground, which is hosting its second championship match of the season.

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