Derbyshire hold on to draw with Northamptonshire

Anuj Dal blocked Northamptonshire’s path to victory as Derbyshire emerged with an unlikely draw from the County Championship Division Two match at Derby.

Northants were on course for a first win of the season at tea when Derbyshire crumbled to 149-7 chasing an improbable 371 for victory but Dal’s unbeaten 31 from 139 balls denied them.

Zak Chappell played a big part with 72 in a stand of 108 in 32 overs with Dal and, although Rob Keogh took 5-62 with his off-spin, Derbyshire clung on to close on 261-9.

Northants had declared on 310-3 after scoring 115 from only 13 overs in the morning thanks to Emilio Gay’s unbeaten 153 and 55 from Karun Nair.

Derbyshire needed a substantial partnership to have any chance of chasing the runs down but saw captain David Lloyd dismissed for 15.

Brooke Guest was caught behind driving at Liam Patterson-White, who then took an excellent catch when Wayne Madsen went for a big slog sweep at Keogh.

That signalled an alarming decline in which four wickets fell to the spinners for only 17 runs in nine overs.

When Ross Whiteley turned the last ball before tea from Keogh into the hands of forward short leg, the visitors were closing in on victory but they were frustrated by resolute batting from Dal and Chappell.

Patterson-White eventually broke through when Chappell chipped to midwicket and Blair Tickner survived 21 balls before Keogh bowled him.

Although Northants claimed a second new ball, they could not break Dal’s resistance as Derbyshire emerged from a tense finale with a spirited draw.