Story Derbyshire's Trek to the Top (ICC06) *Updated Day 2 Lunch*

[Highlander999]

Surrey are going along nicely here. Hopefully your bowlers can cause a clooapse.

Great work mate

 

[blake]

Day 1 Session 3

Wickets didn't come easily in the third session, as Brown and Clarke started to build up a steady partnership. Whilst Derbyshire's bowlers weren't going too badly, good balls were being played away for singles and anything short or loose that might come to them were being quickly dismissed.

Finally it was Dean with the big breakthrough, he had been working on a certain spot for quite a while but he just got it right this time, a great ball on middle and off which straightened up and knocked off stump bang out of the ground. Brown was sent packing for 42, and Surrey were now 4/266, still a very reasonable score, but it looked like Derbyshire were starting to get the upper hand.

It was good batting though from Surrey, and after a few easy runs the fielders from Derbyshire started to get frustrated again. Surrey moved on to 4/290 when finally Derbyshire elected to take the new ball as it finally became available. Clarke was looking good now, his eye was in and he was hitting some nice shots, but would the new ball be able to dismiss him now?

It seemed so, Welch claiming the vital wicket after three overs with the new ball. It was a fantastic delivery, and Clarke had no idea. It pitched slightly outside off, and on a good length, and then it cut back in viciously and knocked out the top of off stump, sending the stump clattering a few metres back. Surrey were now under a bit more pressure, five down, and Derbyshire were starting to work it back. Butcher was batting nicely down the other end for Surrey and Derbyshire would want to claim his wicket and get into the tail sooner or later.

Benning and Butcher put on a good stand for Surrey, batting slowly but surely until finally a big wicket fell, Benning clipping a good ball to a fielder standing in an unorthodox midwicket-square leg position. It was a great catch by Adnan, diving low to his right and sticking out one hand to take the ball. It was Welch's third wicket and he was starting to look very good, finding a rhythm and hitting good spots in the pitch. Pakistani allrounder Azhar Mahmood was next to the crease for Surrey, and he could definitely bat if he needed to.

Butcher and Mahmood finished off the day, going comfortably and Surrey were in a good position at the end of the day, at 6/355. They could easily push on to 400 from here and set Derbyshire almost an unwinnable match.

Stumps Day 1​

Surrey 6/355​

S Newman c Adnan b Welch 115 (183)
J Batty b Jones 72 (197)
M Ramprakash c Di Venuto b Botha 1 (7)
A Brown b Dean 42 (88)
R Clarke b Welch 38 (68)
M Butcher not out 41 (73)
J Benning c Adnan b Welch 18 (26)
A Mahmood not out 14 (29)

K Dean 23-1-91-1
G Welch 32-6-81-3
T Lungley 13-1-48-0
P Jones 20-5-63-1
A Botha 23-1-68-1​

 

[LUMB_YORKSHIRE]

Welch has helped them alot but the other bowlers need to chip in aswell great work

 

[blake]

I've played the first session of day 2, so that will be up pretty shortly.

Ok, here we are.

Day 2 Session 1

Well, welcome back, we are here for the start of day 2. It would be fair to say Surrey got the upper hand during the first day after some good solid batting, helped out by a great opening partnership by Newman and Batty, who both batted superbly. Derbyshire's bowlers will need to do a lot better today.

Surrey started off the session solidly, making tough work for Derbyshire. Butcher brought up his fifty with a nicely-placed leg glance and the runs kept coming, as Surrey passed 390. They looked set to make well over 400, but they hit a little speed bump after Azhar Mahmood was bowled by a regulation straight delivery from Dean. Surrey were now 7/399, still in a very good position but now Derbyshire were into the tail. Welch had bowled without luck early, but Dean was bowling very well.

And now Dean was excited too, rubbing the ball on his trouser leg which now had a pink shade around his thigh. The Derbyshire crowd had started clapping and it seemed all the pressure was too much for Kumble. Dean ripped a great ball into him first up, which hit him right on his front pad, directly in front of off. The umpire had no hesitation raising his finger, Kumble gone for a golden duck. Now Dean was on a hat trick and Derbyshire were feeling a lot better, having Surrey poised at 8/399 now.

But wickets would just simply not come. Butcher and Bicknell batted very slowly, taking their time. Bicknell was playing well, as the new man in, not taking his chances at all but occasionally belting a loose ball away. Butcher was on a slow 68, off almost 200 balls, but batting very sensibly. Soon, the bowlers were changed, more overs ticked away and the runs slowly built up.

It was good batting from Surrey and that was the end of the session.

Lunch Day 2​

Surrey 8/426​

S Newman c Adnan b Welch 115 (183)
J Batty b Jones 72 (197)
M Ramprakash c Di Venuto b Botha 1 (7)
A Brown b Dean 42 (88)
R Clarke b Welch 38 (68)
M Butcher not out 68 (193)
J Benning c Adnan b Welch 18 (26)
A Mahmood b Dean 40 (77)
A Kumble lbw b Dean 0 (1)
M Bicknell not out 14 (60)

K Dean 33-6-108-3
G Welch 43-11-103-3
T Lungley 17-2-59-0
P Jones 25-8-69-1
A Botha 31-3-81-1​

 

[Highlander999]

Dean has now chipped in nicely. Great work mate

 

[blake]

Day 2 Session 2

Surrey started the session off brilliantly, with Butcher and Bicknell batting superbly. Wickets would not come, for Lungley, Botha or Jones, and the runs were coming in fast. Butcher was scoring at a much greater rate, and after being 68 off 193, he then hit a much better 32 off 56, with some great shots, to bring up his century. The over after Butcher brought up his hundred, however, finally Derbyshire got a breakthrough, Bicknell falling finally to Welch, out for a very good 40.

Surrey were nearing 500 now, after the great batting by Bicknell and Butcher though, and Derbyshire were in a lot of trouble. It didn't take too long though for Derbyshire to get the last wicket, the man they had been wanting all along out for 105. It was a regulation snick to second slip, with Lungley claiming his first wicket. Welch had picked up four for the innings, Dean with three, and the other bowlers sharing the wickets evenly. It was poor bowling from Derbyshire though, and Surrey had posted a big total of 10/495.

Derbyshire only had 27 minutes left to survive the session though, but with Surrey bringing out new ball specialists Ormond and Mahmood, it was going to be tough. Di Venuto and Birt had a big job to do after their bowlers hadn't performed, but it was a great pitch for batting and it looked like runs were coming well for the batsmen.

It was a shaky 27 minutes of batting, but Di Venuto and Birt did it well, batting slowly but surely, with only one boundary coming, after a good cover drive from Di Venuto. At tea, Derbyshire were on 0/16, with Di Venuto leading on 11*. There was still a long, long way to go though for Derbyshire, and they had a lot of pressure on now.

Tea Day 2​

Surrey 10/495​

S Newman c Adnan b Welch 115 (183)
J Batty b Jones 72 (197)
M Ramprakash c Di Venuto b Botha 1 (7)
A Brown b Dean 42 (88)
R Clarke b Welch 38 (68)
M Butcher c Botha b Lungley 105 (260)
J Benning c Adnan b Welch 18 (26)
A Mahmood b Dean 40 (77)
A Kumble lbw b Dean 0 (1)
M Bicknell lbw b Welch 40 (145)
J Ormond not out 3 (7)

K Dean 33-6-108-3
G Welch 50-12-123-4
T Lungley 25.2-2-89-1
P Jones 31-8-83-1
A Botha 36-6-85-1
​

Derbyshire 0/16​

M Di Venuto not out 12 (24)
T Birt not out 2 (25)

A Mahmood 4-0-7-0
J Ormond 4-2-9-0
​

 

[Highlander999]

A nice total by Surrey. Hopefully your openers can get you off to a good start.

Very nice work so far, especially your graphics

 

[blake]

Day 2 Session 3​

Welcome back here, we're joined back at County Oval where Surrey have previously just posted 10/495, a whopping score with Newman and Butcher leading the way scoring 115 and 105 respectively. Derbyshire made a slow cautious start, and finished 0/16 at lunch. Di Venuto and Birt are walking back out to the middle, and now play will resume. What will happen in this session?

Derbyshire started off the session slowly, with Di Venuto amassing most of the runs, until finally a good ball from Kumble sent him packing, thanks to a fine catch by Newman at short square leg, after Di Venuto got a thick inside edge attempting to cut the ball, which he had no control over. Derbyshire were shaky early, but some excellent batting by the new man in Hasan Adnan built up some quick runs for Derbyshire whilst Birt also took control, batting sensibly and hitting boundaries.

One of the highlights of the session was a huge six over backward point for Adnan. What seemed like a shaky edge ended up going flying, and it went way over the boundary, the umpire having no hesitation signalling six. Adnan had only faced 59 balls by the time the session was closed, not even half of the 127 balls that Birt had faced, but already he was on 43, including 3 cracking fours and a six, whilst Birt was batting slowly on 36, with 4 fours.

It was a good session for Derbyshire in the end, losing one wicket but fighting back strongly and they were at a good position by the end of the day, at 1/104. They still trailed by 391 runs, however, and there was a lot to do, and already, halfway through the match, it looked like a draw was shaping up as the most likely result.

Stumps Day 2​

Derbyshire 1/104​

M Di Venuto c Newman b Kumble 21 (62)
T Birt not out 36 (127)
H Adnan not out 43 (59)

A Mahmood 12-2-29-0
J Ormond 13-5-24-0
A Kumble 13-0-35-1
M Bicknell 3-0-16-0
​

 

[LUMB_YORKSHIRE]

Derbyshire are playing well at the moment hopefully they can get full batting points to force a draw

 

[Highlander999]

Nice solid start by Derbyshire. As Kaz said hopefully they can now get the full batting points.

Very nice presentation mate and good writing

 

[Left_Hander]

Birt and Adnan are batting well here. Shame Di Venuto got out, he has been in good form in the Australian OD domestic competition.