County cricket: Derbyshire take a cautious path as they bid to avoid follow-on

ONE elderly gentleman just in front of the press box found the heat a little too much for him shortly before lunch at the County Ground yesterday and had what they call in medical circles "a bit of a funny turn".

Following attention, he perked up but was taken away by the paramedics for a more thorough check-up – and that was just as well. The afternoon session might just have finished him off.

Derbyshire made what could best be described as a cautious beginning to their first target; making sure they do not have to follow-on in their LV County Championship match against Leicestershire.

They finished the second day well on their way to that, on 188-2, trailing by 224, after bowling the away side out for 412 in their first innings.

The ball did not swing for them as much as it did on the first day and the wicket is becoming slower but Leicestershire's bowlers showed a great deal more control to allow Derbyshire fewer scoring opportunities and the batsmen had no option but to grind it out.

The result was 75 runs in 35 overs between lunch and tea. Combined with the effects of the sultry sunshine, it was soporific stuff.

Chris Rogers did just about all the scoring in a first-wicket stand of 60 and Derbyshire would surely have made steadier progress if the skipper had stayed longer but he was out for 47 as he chased a wide ball from Harry Gurney and was caught behind.

His partner, Steve Stubbings, was on four at that time and had set himself for a long stay but his vigil was in vain.

In the second over after tea, he was lbw to Gurney for 19 – an innings that lasted just over two and a half hours, used up 110 balls and did not include a single boundary – but credit Stubbings with seeing off the new ball and, if he had moved on, it would have been a valiant effort.

Garry Park also found the going tough at first but he did survive to score more fluently after tea, as the Leicestershire bowlers understandably began to sag.

Park passed 50 for the fifth time in successive Championship matches, reaching the mark off 108 balls with four fours and a six, and played beautifully to end the day 70 not out.

Dan Redfern was with him on 36 not out in a partnership that is so far worth 85 runs.

Derbyshire have a good platform to match Leicestershire's first innings score and assuming they do, it is hard to see where this contest is heading from there unless some kind of mutual agreement can be reached soon.

The away side was 341-5 overnight and Derbyshire did well to restrict them to another 71 runs, with Ian Hunter taking five wickets in an innings for the second time this season.

Hunter took the first two wickets of the day, denying James Taylor the chance of a century and then ending George Walker's first-class return to make it 375-7.

Tom New - dropped on 10, remember - was enjoying his return to the county he spent the second half of last season with and was finally the last man out for 66, with Stubbings taking an outstanding high catch at slip off a top edge.

That meant Derbyshire had restrained Leicestershire within reasonable bounds and made the job of the batsmen a little easier as they sought to put their team squarely back in the contest.

They have done just that and, even though it was not always easy on the eye, it was a job well done.