County Championship: Derbyshire hold edge over Worcestershire on day two at Derby
- Published
Tom Fell was Worcestershire's top scorer until being trapped LBW by Sam Conners
LV= County Championship Group One, The Incora County Ground, Derby (day two): |
Derbyshire 390: Critchley 109, Du Plooy 98, Hosein 83*, Godleman 50; Barnard 4-67 |
Worcestershire 243-7: Fell 69, Wessels 60; Critchley 3-56 |
Worcestershire (4 pts) trail Derbyshire (6 pts) by 147 runs |
Derbyshire had the better of it for the second day running as they came close to making Worcestershire follow on.
After resuming on 360-8, Derbyshire fell shy of a fifth batting bonus point when they were bowled out for 390.
The Pears had got a third bowling point when Ed Barnard removed Ben Aitchison off the third ball of the 110th over.
But they then made hard work of it with the bat, reaching the follow-on target just before closing on 243-7, after fifties for Tom Fell and Riki Wessels.
Fell top scored with 69, before Notts old boy Wessels weighed in with 60.
In-form Matt Critchley followed up his first day century for Derbyshire by taking 3-56 off 22 overs with his leg spin, backed by two scalps for Sam Conners.
Earlier Barnard had taken both the Derbyshire wickets to fall to finish with 4-67.
Worcestershire resume on Saturday with a deficit of 147, having lost the key wicket of Ben Cox for 24 late on, clean bowled by Luis Reece, but Barnard (11 not out) and overseas debutant Alzarri Joseph (10 not out) but they have a chance to make inroads into Derbyshire's lead.
Saturday's play will be suspended from 14:50 BST until 16:10 in accordance with the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Derbyshire fast bowler Sam Conners:
"We always knew the pitch would have a bit in it early on and we used the new ball really well.
"It's important that we come back and not think the wickets are just going to come but make sure we bowl like we did and are right on it from ball one.
"I know just how hard Matt Critchley has worked this winter on his bowling, making sure his variations are all up to scratch and it's showing. You give him the ball in any scenario and he'll probably pick you up a couple of wickets. He's a great asset."
Worcestershire batsman Tom Fell:
"We've fought hard but just haven't managed to build those partnerships and hang around for as long as we'd like.
"It's one of those pitches where there's always something in it. You never feel 100 per cent in but I was a little bit disappointed not to carry on.
"The mindset now is to get as many as we can and get as close to them as we can. We know if we get it right with the ball second innings there's still plenty in it."