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Search forWin should have been in the bag, says Wagg
Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 08:45
Another four-wicket haul from the left-arm seamer – his fifth in the last six Championship innings – was not enough, as Derbyshire closed two wickets from beating Leicestershire at the County Ground.
But Wagg believed that, if a few more breaks had gone their way, the home side should have had the points in the bag.
“It was an interesting game but we should have wrapped it up,” he said. “To be honest, they shouldn't have got anywhere close because we are a lot better team than them.
“Our batting let us down again. We got ourselves back in the game when Langers (Charl Langeveldt) ran in and bowled his heart out for us again and, if we had got the nicks in the first innings, we would have won the game.
“Again in the second innings there were a couple of run-outs and there was an lbw which was maybe close off Langers when Allenby was on 30-odd.
“There are little things that can turn games and, unfortunately, it wasn't our day.”
Close as they were to winning, Derbyshire might also have lost as a seventh-wicket stand between Leicestershire's James Allenby and Tom Smith took their side to within 27 of their target, with four overs to go.
Head of cricket John Morris knew the contest could have gone either way.
“It was always going to be tough to bowl them out on 58 overs but, when we had them 100-6, I thought we had got it – I thought we would win the game,” he said.
“At the end, the partnership between Allenby and Smith was brilliant and we needed the caught and bowled because, at that point, they were winning the game. Charl Langeveldt has been fantastic for us and he came to the rescue again.”
Morris also had words of praise for Dan Birch, who added 16 valuable runs and batted for 23 overs, despite a stomach bug which had seen him lose a stone in two days.
“It was admirable today and absolutely shows what a club man he is,” Morris added.
“He's got off his throne – for want of a better word – and helped out because we needed him. Full credit to him because I know what it's like to do that and it was vital he batted for the time he did.”
Derbyshire have only one day off before the start of a Championship match at Northampton tomorrow and, whether or not Birch is fit to play, Morris says that Paul Borrington will have the chance of his first appearance of the season.
“Paul Borrington is a talented young cricketer,” he said. “He's got a first-class hundred this season for the UCCE against Worcestershire, he's had runs in the second team and he's batted time.
“One of the reasons I'm bringing him into the side is because we need to bat more overs.”
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