County Championship: Derbyshire deny Middlesex victory push on last day at Lord's
- Published
Shan Masood followed up his first-innings 91 with 62 for Derbyshire in the second innings
LV= County Championship Division Two, Lord's, London (day four): |
Middlesex 401 & 258-5 dec: Holden 82, White 81; Conners 3-61 |
Derbyshire 304: Masood 91; Helm 3-52 & 255-5: Masood 62, Madsen 54; Helm 3-49 |
Middlesex (14 pts) drew with Derbyshire (12 pts) |
Middlesex and Derbyshire drew in a game where both sides pushed for victory at various stages on the final day.
Resuming on 201-3 in their second innings, Middlesex eventually declared on 258-5 to set the visitors a target of 356 in a minimum of 88 overs.
Shan Masood (62) and Billy Godleman (38) made a strong start adding 81 for the first wicket before they were pegged back at 206-5 shortly after tea.
Leus du Plooy (23 not out) and Anuj Dal (24 not out) then dug in until stumps.
The two sides shook hands with five overs still to bowl under darkening skies, but Tom Helm's spell of 3-14 in seven overs after tea had earlier put the brakes on Derbyshire's scoring.
Pakistan Test international Masood looked well set as he raced to 50 off just 52 balls and will have felt he missed a second chance in the match to make a century, following his first-innings 91, when he was caught behind off Ethan Bamber.
Derbyshire still looked interested in chasing down their second-highest fourth innings score to win in the County Championship as well as a first win at Lord's since 2002 when they went to tea at 181-2, needing another 175 from 38 overs.
But as Wayne Madsen (54), Brooke Guest (43) and Luis Reece (2) all fell to Helm, they put away any thoughts of going for it.
Middlesex's hopes of running through Derbyshire's lower order were hampered by an apparent hamstring injury to Tim Murtagh, who had to go off the field after just 4.2 overs with the new ball.
Helm finished with 3-49 though as he was the pick of Middlesex's seamers.