Matthew Fisher returned 4-96, but Yorkshire were forced to settle for a third draw in four rounds of this season’s Vitality County Championship matches as Derbyshire batted out day four thanks largely to a Wayne Madsen century.
Yorkshire started the day needing something special with the ball to claim victory in this Division Two fixture.
Derbyshire resumed on 190-3 in their first-innings reply to 450-5 declared. So the hosts needed 17 wickets, including the first seven quickly as the visitors looked to avoid the follow-on by reaching 301.
As soon as they did, the draw would be all but confirmed given the remaining time available. And so it proved, with Derbyshire ticking that box in the early stages of the afternoon and later going on to finish on 447 all out midway through the afternoon.
Fisher struck twice on day four added to the two he claimed during Saturday’s second day (yesterday’s third day had been completely washed out) and helped Yorkshire finish the game with 16 points to Derbyshire’s 13.
Yorkshire secured the maximum points haul available for the draw, ending the match on 59-1 in their second innings when bad light intervened at 4.40pm.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Matthew Fisher stood out for Yorkshire with the ball.
Joe Root also finished with 3-78. But, unfortunately, the telling contributions came from the visiting batters.
Madsen started the day on 88 and finished with 104 off 226 balls, Aneurin Donald made 97 and fast bowler Zak Chappell 78.
Yorkshire made the ideal start when Fisher uprooted Brooke Guest’s off-stump for 75 with one that kept low, ending a 170-stand with Madsen and leaving the score at 193-4.
And while that was the first of four morning wickets, Yorkshire needed more given Derbyshire reached lunch on 297-7 in excellent batting conditions.
Madsen reached his century off 224 balls before top-edging a slog-sweep at Root’s off-spin to mid-wicket.
With the fifth wicket falling on 237 in the 78th over, Yorkshire had been given a significant boost just before the new ball was due. Unfortunately, though, there was just too much to do.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Derbyshire centurion Wayne Madsen.
Jordan Thompson struck twice before the break, which Derbyshire reached on 297-7 and four runs short of avoiding the follow-on. He trapped Anuj Dal lbw and had Alex Thomson caught at mid-wicket.
After lunch, Donald moved towards what would have been a first first-class century since July 2019. The Welshman signed for Derbyshire from Hampshire over the winter.
He shared 54 for the sixth wicket with Dal and an exhilarating 109 for the eighth with Chappell, who walloped four leg-side sixes in an innings which saw him play a shot a ball the later in went on. Three of his sixes came off Root.
For Donald, though, it was personal disappointment, especially considering he had been credited with four more runs at one stage following a misunderstanding between the umpires and the scorers.
Donald pulled a Thompson no ball to long-leg, where a catch was taken. It looked as if umpire Hassan Adnan had signalled four as well as the no ball, only for it to be corrected later on.
But, having hit 10 boundaries, he tried to cut his 118th ball and could only edge Root behind. The same bowler trapped Pat Brown lbw to end the innings.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Joe Root finished with three-for and a century.
Sandwiched in between, Fisher had Chappell caught at gully thanks to a well directed short ball in the 109th over – 418-9 – securing Yorkshire their third bowling point just inside the 110-over cut off point.
Yorkshire’s second innings started with Derbyshire three overs behind on the over-rate. So it was no surprise they opened the bowling with the off-spin of Thomson. Harry Came also bowled some spin, as did captain David Lloyd. He trapped Fin Bean lbw for 33 just before the umpires took the players off for bad light after 21 overs had been bowled. Adam Lyth was 20 not out.
Yorkshire face Glamorgan in their next match at Headingley on Friday.
