Honours even in rain-affected encounter between Leicestershire and Derbyshire

A final day battle for bonus points ended with both Leicestershire and Derbyshire satisfied with their return from a match which saw the first seven sessions lost to the weather

Grace Road (final day of four): Leicestershire 381, Derbyshire 251-8d - match drawn

A final day battle for bonus points ended with both Leicestershire and Derbyshire satisfied with their return from a match which saw the first seven sessions lost to the weather.

An entertaining morning's cricket saw Leicestershire add 114 to their overnight score but miss out on a fifth batting bonus point as Derbyshire picked up five wickets.

Resuming on 267-5, Neil Dexter and Ned Eckersley scored quickly in extending their sixth wicket partnership to 82, with Dexter lofting leg-spinner Matt Critchley high over extra cover for six before leaving a delivery from fellow South African Duanne Olivier that knocked his off-stump out of the ground.

Eckersley went on to his half-century, made from 121 deliveries, before pulling Ravi Rampaul hard to midwicket, where 12th man Callum Broderick held the catch at the second attempt.

Ben Raine hit eight boundaries in going to 47 from just 50 balls, and looked set to guide the Foxes to their 400 target, but a mix-up with Dieter Klein saw both batsman at the same end.

REPLAY | Here's @BCCI international fast bowler @VarunAaron taking his first Foxes wicket! 🦊 #followthefoxes

Thanks to @deeserve for the video pic.twitter.com/Tozt7AlT6Q

— Leicestershire CCC🏏 (@leicsccc) April 30, 2018

In the circumstances, Klein's refusal to step out of his ground and sacrifice his wicket was hard to understand, the more so when Gavin Griffiths and Varun Aaron were duly dismissed quickly to leave the Foxes 19 short.

Raine did his best to atone, striking twice when Derbyshire began their first innings. The right-arm seamer had left-handed opener Luis Reece leg-before without scoring with a delivery that swung back in from around the wicket, before Ben Slater edged a delivery pushed across him to wicketkeeper Eckersley.

In between, newcomer Aaron picked up his first wicket for the Foxes, when Wayne Madsen was leg before to the former India international seamer.

Griffiths won the third leg before decision of the session when Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman was given out on the back foot, but Gary Wilson was dropped by Eckersley on just four, and Matt Critchley put down by Paul Horton at first slip, both times off the bowling off Griffiths.

Dexter bowled Alex Hughes before Critchley pulled Griffiths to midwicket where Raine took a fine low catch. Hardus Viljoen increased the run rate, hitting 43 off just 33 balls, but Wilson steered his side past 250 before a declaration with an over remaining left Leicestershire a wicket short of a third bowling point.

Report courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network

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