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Cummins and Green wipe out the deficit but hosts have just four second-innings wickets left

Andrew McGlashan27-Dec-2020India put themselves on the doorstep of one of their finest Test victories as the bowling attack again came to the fore at the MCG to dismantle an increasingly fragile Australia top order. The success was shared equally, but Jasprit Bumrah could easily have had more than the one wicket for his efforts, while the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined with great effect.Ravindra Jadeja picked up a couple of wickets after scoring a crucial half-century•Getty Images

For the majority of the time, they were without Umesh Yadav, who, after removing Joe Burns early, limped off with a calf injury and has since been taken for scans. The decision to pick five bowlers, therefore, paid off handsomely for India with Jadeja, following his vital half-century in the innings-defining stand of 121 with Ajinkya Rahane, taking two wickets as he and Ashwin allowed Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to not be overbowled.At the close of play, Australia had yet to score a half-century in the match. Steven Smith fell for his third single-figure score of the series – bowled behind his pads by Bumrah – and in a 66-over innings they had managed just seven boundaries. There was a dose of controversy thrown in for good measure when Tim Paine was given out caught behind by the DRS, which left the Australia captain fuming as he walked off. But the protocols were followed to the letter when Snicko provided a spike where Hot Spot had not shown a mark.Related

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At that point, Australia had lost three wickets for one run in 23 balls and were lurching towards a three-day defeat, but that was at least avoided as Cameron Green and Pat Cummins ground out 34 in 18 overs to ensure India would need to bat again, although it remained a long way from being a recovery.A deficit of 131 was sizeable, but less than it might have been for Australia after they claimed India’s last five wickets for 32 – following the run-out of Rahane when Jadeja chanced a single for his fifty – amid a barrage of short-pitched bowling at the lower order. However, it was a hefty enough difference that they would need at least 300 to give themselves a realistic chance in the fourth innings but again they produced a limp performance that will leave much head-scratching ahead of the third Test.There will be increasing desperation that David Warner prove his fitness even though he would be coming in with very little cricket. The Burns Question will again loom large, as it did at the beginning of the series, with the opener failing for the third time in four innings across the two Tests. Burns lived on the edge even during a ten-ball stay; he would have been run-out by a direct hit getting off the mark and was nearly pinned lbw by a searing inswinging yorker from Bumrah before edging an excellent delivery from Yadav. To make things worse, he wasted a review.’What’s happening here?’ – Tim Paine seems to ask as he’s walking off•Getty Images

Matthew Wade battled against his natural instincts – impressively so – while Marnus Labuschagne scored most of the runs that were on offer but was undone by a wonderful piece of bowling from Ashwin, who slid one across him from around the wicket, which took an edge to slip.Ashwin, getting the ball to drift, bite and turn, nearly had Smith caught at leg slip in a repeat of the first-innings dismissal during another fascinating battle between the pair, but this time it was India’s other leading man – Bumrah – who pulled off a perfectly-worked plan when he bowled Smith behind his legs that many bowlers have tried before him. The ball just clipped the top of leg stump and Smith even set off for a run, scarcely able to believe what had happened. At 71 for 3, still 60 behind, with the two lynchpin batsmen gone, India had made their opening.Ten overs later came the clatter that will surely decide the game. Wade’s 137-ball defiance ended when he played back to Jadeja and was beaten by one that slid on. In another tick to Rahane’s captaincy book, Siraj struck with his first ball back when Travis Head edged to second slip to complete twin dismissals of much similarity in the game.Then there was the wicket that lit up social media, Paine playing a forcing shot off the back foot against Jadeja, which was given not out by Paul Reiffel with Rahane quick to review. The third umpire, Paul Wilson, gave Paine out based on the spike on Snicko, which matched with the ball passing the bat but Paine could not hide his anger.At 99 for 6, it was there for India to wrap up and they may have got close to doing so had Rishabh Pant gathered a thin edge off Cummins when he nicked Ashwin on 8. As it was, Cummins and Green clung on, taking Australia to parity but with just three bowlers left in the shed. What sort of target would make India nervous? It’s been a crazy year, but surely this will be their Test match.

England right-hander comes in as a replacement overseas player after Amy Satterthwaite was ruled out of the tournament

Alex Malcolm09-Sep-2019The Melbourne Renegades have signed England opener Tammy Beaumont as their replacement for absent skipper Amy Satterthwaite ahead of the new Women’s Big Bash League season starting in October.Beaumont played for the Adelaide Strikers in second and third seasons of the WBBL but did not play the last one. She was named in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 2019 and produced her sixth ODI century during the recent Ashes series in England.Beaumont, 28, joins England team-mate Danielle Wyatt and New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu as the overseas players at the Renegades after Satterthwaite was ruled out of the tournament after recently announcing she was pregnant.”I’m thrilled to be heading back to the Big Bash,” Beaumont said. “I’ve played against a lot of the talent in the Renegades line-up so it’ll be nice to be playing alongside them this time. The Renegades are a side on the rise and the Big Bash is such a tough competition so I’m looking forward to testing myself against some of the best players in the world.”

The election for the post of league director ended in a deadlock, with both candidates receiving 12 votes each

Peter Della Penna18-Aug-2018Two rounds of voting were not enough to break the deadlock between ex-USACA president Atul Rai and former USA captain Sushil Nadkarni for the right to serve a three-year term as league director on the new USA Cricket board of directors. So the men decided to shake on it.In an unprecedented move, the two candidates have agreed to a split term according to a USA Cricket press release. In the main election voting that concluded on July 29, Rai and Nadkarni each received 12 votes from the eligible voting leagues. A special runoff vote that ended on August 12 produced the same result. A stipulation was announced that the winner would then be decided by a coin toss with the winner serving the full three-year term.However, both men agreed beforehand to serve half of the term each, an agreement that was unanimously approved by USA Cricket’s four-person nominating and governance committee, which includes ICC chief executive David Richardson. Rai wound up winning the coin toss, meaning he will serve the initial 18 months in the position. Nadkarni will then take over for the final 18 months before a fresh election is held for the league director position in 2021.Now that the seven-person constituent board has been finalised, the final three independent directors will be selected by the nominating and governance committee. The committee is meeting this weekend in Florida to finish their evaluations before putting their three candidates forward to complete the 10-member board of directors.

Richie Berrington’s third List A century propelled Scotland to 268 for 5 in an innings reduced to 43 overs before rain pushed the match into the reserve day with Namibia 26 for no loss in reply

Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh11-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRichie Berrington mowed five fours and four sixes en route to his career-best List A score•Peter Della Penna

Richie Berrington’s third List A century propelled Scotland to 268 for 5 in an innings reduced to 43 overs in the first WCL Championship match between the two sides at The Grange. In reply, Namibia were 26 for 0 in 5.1 overs before rain halted the chase and pushed the game into the reserve day on Monday.The rain was on and off throughout the day with the first interruption arriving after 17 overs with Scotland 69 for 2, causing a two-and-a-half hour delay and a seven-over reduction. Berrington, who was slow to get going, was on 9 off 26 balls then. He had moved on to 14 off 35 when the rain returned, after 19.4 overs, to push the players off the field briefly. However, once the weather cleared out and the sun appeared, he flipped a switch and pillaged 86 off the next 49 balls he faced to bring up an 84-ball century.And it was the introduction of Bernard Scholtz, the left-arm spinner, in the 27th over, that brought about the shift in momentum in Berrington’s innings. With a strong breeze blowing across the ground, Scholtz tried to tempt Scotland’s batsmen into swinging with the breeze but against the turn only to see his strategy go fruitless. Berrington slog-swept the second ball he faced from Scholtz over deep midwicket for six before taking him for 16 in the 31st. That included a six over wide long-on that took him to a half-century in 58 balls.He needed just another 26 balls to reach three figures, feasting on a series of short-pitched balls from Jan Frylinck and Christi Viljoen. The only chance he offered was a difficult one when on 61, he drove Sarel Burger flat to long-on. Stephan Baard put in a one-handed, leaping effort but only managed to deflect the ball over the rope for six. By the time Berrington fell, bottom-edging a slower full toss from left-arm medium pacer JJ Smit onto his stumps, he had raised his career-best score of 110.The wicket also ended a blistering 101-run fifth wicket stand with Preston Mommsen that had spanned just 9.4 overs. Mommsen, returning to the Scotland side in his first match after coming out of retirement, ended unbeaten on 49 off 35 balls, repeatedly using the scoop over fine leg to great effect.Viljoen hadn’t played for Namibia since 2014, but has made an impact on his comeback tour after playing first-class cricket in New Zealand. Though his short-ball ploy did not work against Berrington and Mommsen, it had worked earlier in the day when he bagged two wickets in his opening over – that of Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland captain, and Matthew Cross, who were both caught at deep square leg for 15 and 21 respectively.Smit then accounted for Calum MacLeod, who was caught for 22 attempting a flick at midwicket. Craig Wallace then partnered Berrington in a fourth-wicket stand of 71 before he was caught at long leg attempting an audacious slog sweep against the medium pace of Burger. At that point, the match was evenly balanced at 151 for 4 in the 32nd over, before Berrington and Mommsen shored up Scotland’s total.Scotland had a chance to break Namibia’s opening stand when Baard’s hook off Alasdair Evans in the fifth over sailed toward long leg. But Safyaan Sharif misjudged the ball in the wind and never came off the rope. Baard remained not out on 6, with Louis van der Westhuizen on 20 having cracked four boundaries through the off side, before rain ended play for the day.

Lancashire supporters have fond memories of Taunton, having clinched their first outright title in 77 years here in 2011, and after two relegations in the interim they had another good day on their return to the west country

Alan Gardner at Taunton01-May-2016
ScorecardAlviro Petersen ensured a good Lancashire day•Getty Images

Lancashire supporters have fond memories of Taunton, having clinched their first outright title in 77 years here in 2011. The club’s Championship cricket has come nowhere near to matching that moment of ecstatic release since, having suffered two relegations in the interim, but they made a strong start on their latest return to the west country, just as they have to life back in Division One.A comprehensive eight-wicket win over Nottinghamshire two weeks ago signalled the Red Rose might prove thorny opposition this season. That performance was based around the prowess of Lancashire’s three seamers, Neil Wagner, James Anderson and Kyle Jarvis; here it was the batsman who staked their case. All that was missing was a century, Alviro Petersen falling to the second new ball just as his was beginning to look inevitable, but the captain Steven Croft was in pugnacious form as his side jousted for the ascendency on a slow pitch against a hard-working Somerset attack.In the absence of the retired Ashwell Prince – who scored the small matter of 1478 Championship runs in 2015 – Lancashire need someone to loosen their belt and match his insatiable appetite. Petersen, once of Somerset and in his second year as a Kolpak signing for Lancashire, spent much of last season in Prince’s shadow but he played an authoritative innings here, replete with pressure-releasing boundaries around the wicket.He had not been long at the crease when he struck his first six, lofting Jack Leach back down the ground towards the River End. Leach was two-thirds of the way through a 19-over spell either side of lunch and he had taken the first two wickets to fall but the proactive approach of Petersen and Croft – who later took Leach for sixes over long-on and deep midwicket – ensured that the spinner would not be allowed to tie down an end completely while Chris Rogers rotated his seam attack.Somerset included the Overton twins in their XI for the first time this season, with Lewis Gregory rested as part of an apparent rotation policy. Jamie produced some fine, fast deliveries – hitting Luke Procter on the shoulder and seeing a low outside edge from the same batsman missed by Marcus Trescothick at slip – but he tired as the day wore on and proved increasingly expensive.A back-foot drive during the afternoon session demonstrated both Jamie Overton’s pace and Petersen’s timing, while after tea the former South Africa opener stepped out to crash Peter Trego insouciantly through the covers; the 77th over, Jamie Overton’s 16th, went for 14 runs, with Petersen pulling four through midwicket and then slapping a wide, rising delivery all the way over backward point for six.Apart from that spell before second new ball, Somerset had bowled diligently and Craig Overton quickly came to his brother’s aid by trapping Petersen lbw as the batsman attempted to play across the line, ending a 125-run stand for the fourth wicket.That partnership helped shore up Lancashire’s position after they had stuttered to 125 for 3 on an increasingly cold and gloomy afternoon. Confronted earlier by a dry-looking surface over towards the west of the square, Lancashire requested and won the toss – meaning that for the third time out of three this season, Somerset will have to chase the game – but a relaid outfield meant the runs rarely flowed.Matthew Maynard, Somerset’s director of cricket, conceded the pitch was “not ideally what we would have wanted” but put it down to the difficulties of preparation amid recent unsettled weather.The Quantocks were visible to the north of the ground until late in the day, despite low, grey cloud cover that loomed over proceedings. There were occasional spots of rain but nothing more severe than spray blowing in over a sea wall and Somerset’s attack hurried through their overs, trying to keep warm: 97 were bowled in the day, despite a brief interruption for bad light.The official gate was more than 1600, although Somerset were hopeful of more for their first home game of the season. The new pavilion is an eye-catching draw but their team have made a tepid start to the season, drawing games at Durham and Surrey, and neither the weather nor the pitch was particularly hospitable for the paying spectator.A solid clutch of members were bunched together in the Marcus Trescothick Stand to applaud Leach back to fine leg after the over in which he picked up his second wicket early in the afternoon session. A bespectacled slow left-armer with shaven head and tightly cropped beard, Leach has the benevolent air of young pastor and he induced a confession from the umpire when appealing for an lbw against Karl Brown, after he had made a compact 47.Leach made the opening breakthrough as well, having Haseeb Hameed well caught on the drive at extra cover following a stand worth 56, during which time Somerset’s seamers had found little to their liking. The change to regulations around the toss look set to give bowlers such Leach many more overs of employment this summer, although the unflustered progress of Petersen and Croft during the afternoon and evening suggested this was an especially sepulchral surface.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches that took place on September 26, 2013

Mohammad Isam26-Sep-2013Newly-promoted side Kalabagan Cricket Academy stunned 17-time champions Abahani Limited with an eight-wicket victory in the Dhaka Premier League. KCA now have two wins under their belt, and have skipped over Abahani who have lost their last three matches.Set 189 to win after overnight rain delayed the start and reduced the match to a 34-overs-a-side affair, KCA got off to a poor start. Vusi Sibanda fell in the fifth over but thereafter, Hamilton Masakadza and Mizanur Rahman took charge. They added 166 runs in the next 25 overs, putting their side firmly in control of proceedings.Mizanur made 91 off 94 balls with seven fours and two sixes, while Masakadza remained unbeaten on a 72-ball 85 with eight fours and two sixes. Abahani’s bowling was insipid, with only Al-Amin Hossain and Nabil Samad picking up a wicket each.Earlier, 17-year-old batsman Mosaddek Hossain continued his good form with another half-century, which once again rescued Abahani from an ordinary start. He made 62 while Thilina Kandamby smashed two sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 38-ball 53. It was supposed to demoralise KCA, but the exact opposite happened.Another Dhaka giant, Mohammedan Sporting Club were beaten by a whopping 239 runs by Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. It is the biggest margin of victory in Bangladesh’s List A cricket, besting Pakistan’s 233-run victory over Bangladesh in 2000.Mohammedan were bowled out for just 67 runs in the 23rd over, after being set 307 to win. Dhanmondi’s Elton Chigumbura took four wickets in a 2.4-over spell while Elias Sunny grabbed two. Mohammedan’s procession began in the tenth over, when an in-form Shamsur Rahman was caught behind off Abdur Razzak. From 42 for 2, they lost their last eight wickets for just 24 runs.Dhanmondi set up the massive target thanks to Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib’s whirlwind, unbeaten 93 off 54 balls. He smashed seven sixes and six fours, entertaining a small crowd that turned up at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Dilshan Munaweera and captain Mushfiqur Rahim also chipped in with half-centuries. For Mohammedan, Ajantha Mendis picked up three wickets for 55 runs.At Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Brothers Union eased to an eight-wicket win over Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity. Batting first, Khelagar were bowled out for 102 runs in 33.4 overs. Angelo Mathews took three wickets while Sachithra Senanayake picked up two with the new ball. The Sri Lanka captain took charge of the chase as well, scoring a run-a-ball unbeaten 51, to secure the win in the 25th over.

An eventful third day, which included a century from Tom Latham and a declaration from New Zealand A, ended with India A in control of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2012
ScorecardAn eventful third day, which included a century from Tom Latham and a declaration from New Zealand A, ended with India A in control of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln. India went to stumps on 137 for 2, with an overall lead of 242.New Zealand had begun the day on 105 for 4, with Latham and Reece Young at the crease. The pair added a further 69 runs, with Young going on to make a half-century. The lower-middle order though did not put up too much resistance for the hosts, and soon after the fall of Latham, on 132, the innings was declared with a view to force a result in the four-day match. New Zealand were 234 for 8 at that point, 105 behind India.Captain Abhinav Mukund once again contributed with 41 off 60 deliveries, before Anustup Majumdar and Mandeep Singh put on an unbeaten 64-run stand for the third wicket to leave India in a comfortable position overnight.

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League Twenty20 qualifier between Kolkata Knight Riders and Auckland in Hyderabad

The Preview by Nikita Bastian18-Sep-2011

Match facts

Auckland v Kolkata Knight Riders, September 19
Start time 20.00 (14.30 GMT)
Yusuf Pathan poses a threat for Auckland with bat and ball•AFP

Big Picture

Kolkata Knight Riders finished fourth in IPL 2011 and, having come to the qualifiers with the least favourable result in their domestic league among the participating teams, will be eager to prove they belong with the Twenty20 elite. Injuries to their captain Gautam Gambhir and Eoin Morgan, and Brad Haddin’s unavailability – he’s with the Australia Test squad in Sri Lanka – will affect the quality and balance of the side. Even so, a team featuring the likes of Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Pathan and Brett Lee should post a stiff challenge.Auckland, New Zealand’s champions, have reached the finals of the domestic Twenty20 competition in four seasons out of six. Batsmen Jimmy Adams, Colin Munro, Lou Vincent and Colin de Grandhomme were solid in this year’s HRV Cup campaign. In Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey and Andre Adams the team enjoys vast international experience on the pace front. Areas of concern would be a lack of match practice – it’s the winter offseason in New Zealand – and minor shoulder and dental issues for Martin and Tuffey.The format of the qualifiers – two pools of three teams each, with the top three overall going through – demands the sides win two out of two to ensure they make the main-draw.

Team news

Jimmy Adams and de Grandhomme are likely to open, with Martin Guptill at No. 3. Auckland were flexible in the HRV Cup, with Vincent, Anaru Kitchen and Munro floating up and down the order. Here, Munro’s HRV form and Robert Quiney’s power-hitting should put them ahead of Kitchen for middle-order spots. With Indian conditions in mind, they might consider going against a traditional strength and playing two spinners, bringing Bruce Martin in to partner Ronnie Hira.

Auckland: (probable) 1 Jimmy Adams, 2 Colin de Grandhomme, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Colin Munro, 5 Robert Quiney/Anaru Kitchen, 6 Gareth Hopkins (capt & wk), 7 Lou Vincent, 8 Ronnie Hira, 9 Andre Adams, 10 Kyle Mills/Daryl Tuffey/Bruce Martin, 11 Chris Martin.Kallis will lead Kolkata in Gambhir’s absence and partner Manvinder Bisla at the top. Manoj Tiwary could be forced to move up a spot to No. 3, unless they promote a bit-hitter up like Yusuf or Ryan ten Doeschate instead. Shakib Al Hasan, whose left-arm spin proved handy in the IPL, will fill the fourth foreign player’s spot.Kolkata Knight Riders: (probable) 1 Jacques Kallis (capt), 2 Manvinder Bisla (wk), 3 Manoj Tiwary, 4 Ryan ten Doeschate, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Iqbal Abdulla, 10 L Balaji, 11 Jaidev Unadkat.

Watch out for …

Andre Adams is coming off a fine English county season and HRV Cup, where he topped the bowling charts for Nottinghamshire and Auckland. Can he reproduce that form at the batting paradise that is the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad?Yusuf Pathan will be smarting after being overlooked for India’s tour of England. Brutal batting aside, he could pose problems with his offspin – Yusuf conceded a miserly 6.10 runs an over in IPL 2011, while claiming 13 wickets to finish second on Kolkata’s wickets table.

Key contest

Iqbal Abdulla v Auckland batsmen: A side from New Zealand might not be completely at ease against spin. Left-armer Iqbal Abdulla proved he could rein in and get past several international batsmen in IPL 2011. The Auckland power-hitters’ response to Abdulla’s wiles promises to be an intriguing battle.

Stats & trivia

• Kolkata were the only team in IPL 2011 to have four bowlers – Abdulla, Yusuf, Rajat Bhatia and Shakib – with an economy rate below 7.00 (25 overs minimum).
• Colin Munro hit the most sixes (17) in the HRV Cup 2010-11.

Quotes

“Nothing actually beats playing in India. For some young players, it can be a great experience, [maybe even] a frightening one. The experienced players will help them.”

Ian Bell smashed a superb century as Warwickshire batted themselves ever closer to County Championship Division One safety at The Rose Bowl

15-Sep-2010
ScorecardIan Bell smashed a superb century as Warwickshire batted themselves ever closer to County Championship Division One safety at The Rose Bowl. Resuming overnight on 29 without loss, openers Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood added just ten more runs before both departed, falling lbw to Simon Jones and James Tomlinson respectively.That brought Bell and first-innings wicket-taking hero Darren Maddy together at the crease, and they combined to flay Hampshire’s bowlers to all parts. Bell looked every inch a batsman bound for the plane for Australia this winter, as he cut and drove powerfully to race to his half-century.Maddy also looked fluent as he attacked Hampshire’s bowling, but with the pair well set and their partnership approaching a century, Maddy was bowled as Danny Briggs (3 for 100) spun one past his defences and bowled him. Former England international Jim Troughton was next to depart, snared by a decent Michael Carberry catch off the bowling of the impressive Simon Jones (4 for 60).With Warwickshire edging closer to securing more batting bonus points, Bell opened his shoulders and moved rapidly through the 80s and 90s. He finally went to three figures with an edge through the slips before celebrating with gusto.But with a huge score on the horizon as Hampshire’s bowlers grew increasingly frustrated and tired, Bell gave his wicket away, edging Jones behind for 104. Richard Johnson swiftly followed Bell back to the pavilion as Warwickshire’s innings spluttered to 227 for 6 but a fine counter-attacking knock from Rikki Clarke wrestled the initiative back for the Bears.Clarke, in tandem with Keith Barker, dragged Warwickshire past 250 with some clean hitting and good running between the wickets. But both fell with the score on 264, Clarke (52) edging James Tomlinson before Barker clipped left-arm spinner Briggs to Dominic Cork for 21.Former Hampshire spinner Imran Tahir smashed his way to a rapid 20 from 15 balls but fell with Warwickshire six runs short of 300 in the fast- descending Rose Bowl gloom. With the light threatening to fade beyond a reasonable playing level, there was just time for Andrew Miller to drag the Bears beyond 300 before holing out to Liam Dawson.The wicket brought the innings to a close but as Hampshire’s batsmen readied themselves for their second innings, the umpires finally called time on the day’s play as darkness descended on the Rose Bowl.

No prospect of a result after several sessions lost to rain, but 40-year-old ends season in style

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024Leicestershire’s rain-hit Vitality County Championship match against East Midlands neighbours Derbyshire ended in the tame draw that had been long anticipated as the curtain came down on the season at the Uptonsteel County Ground.What would otherwise have been a decidedly unmemorable final day was rescued by the veteran Derbyshire stalwart Wayne Madsen, whose sixth century in this fixture took his career tally of first-class runs against Leicestershire to 2,032 at an impressive average of 63.50.The 40-year-old hit 11 fours and a six in an unbeaten 105, although it was not a chanceless century. He was dropped at midwicket on 72, which would have left him tantalisingly on 1,999 against the Foxes.Skipper David Lloyd made 73 as Derbyshire posted 252 for three declared in their first innings in reply to Leicestershire’s 280 all out, in which Lloyd’s three for 43 was his side’s best performance with the ball. The first two days of the match had been lost to the weather.Nonetheless, it is a season Derbyshire will want to forget after finishing bottom of the Division Two table with just one win from 14 matches, while it did not reach the conclusion Leicestershire had been hoping for in August, when they were still contention for a promotion place.Three draws and two defeats in their last five matches put paid to that ambition and 2025 will be their 20th consecutive season in Division Two.Resuming at 264 for eight, Leicestershire added 16 runs before Zak Chappell uprooted debutant Alex Green’s middle stump to end their first innings, Pat Brown having had Sam Wood caught at first slip, both with the second new ball.Ben Cox, a possible contender to take over from Lewis Hill as captain next season, finished on 42 not out.Leicestershire had been bowled out in 87.1 overs. With a minimum 86 overs left in the match, some watching were hopeful that each team might forfeit an innings to leave Derbyshire a target of 265, which at least would have created a meaningful conclusion to the match, even if the prize at stake was no more than regional pride.But if there had been any discussions around manufacturing a finish, they clearly did not end in agreement. Derbyshire emerged from the pavilion to little apparent purpose other than to add such batting bonus points as they could to the three they picked up for bowling, although nothing can now alter the fact that they have finished bottom of the table for the 17th time in their history.Then again, after five defeats in six matches coming into this one, it could be argued that it is better to finish the season with a draw than another loss.As it happened, by lunch Derbyshire were well on the way to that objective at 79 for one from 18 overs, left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis picking up the sole wicket to fall with his first delivery when Mitch Wagstaff edged to slip.Against a depleted Leicestershire attack, with no Josh Hull, Chris Wright, Scott Currie or Rehan Ahmed for a variety of reasons, runs came relatively easily at times.Green, 6ft 6ins and not 18 until February, bowled his first overs in first-class cricket but found there was little margin for error with length or line on an unresponsive pitch, although he troubled the batters at times.Lloyd, who has had a chastening first season as Derbyshire’s captain, completed his fourth half-century of the campaign, but after 11 fours he was denied the chance to register his first hundred since his triple century against Derbyshire for Glamorgan in 2022 when he slashed at a delivery from Ben Mike outside off stump and was caught at slip.Harry Came had been the second wicket to fall, edging to wicketkeeper Cox off Ben Green, one of six seamers deployed by the home side.Madsen’s stand with Brooke Guest added 132, the 40-year-old clearly in the mood to take advantage of the docile conditions on a bright, if cool afternoon, providing some entertainment for the pockets of keen spectators, reaching the 100-run milestone for the 39th time in his first-class career with an uppercut off Mike for his 11th four.