Yuzvendra Chahal produced a match-winning bowling display for Northamptonshire, taking five wickets and singlehandedly destroying the Derbyshire batsmen on a pitch that offered a turn on the Wantage Road area. Chahal’s 5 for 45 was his third five-wicket haul of his career; Derbyshire had lost their last six wickets for 15 runs and collapsed in 10.2 overs.
He showed his type and gave Northamptonshire a precious first-innings lead of 54 before stumps on day two of the Vitality County Championship. Chahal had good bowling spells, and so did the off-spinner Rob Keogh, who bowled very effectively, taking three wickets for 65 runs.
The pair exploited the conditions well, bowling in partnership in the morning session, always having close-in fielders around the bat. Luis Reece and Wayne Masden led some of the fightback with scores of 50 and 47, respectively, but Chahal’s determination ultimately proved to be decisive.
Then, in a shocking revelation, he produced a maiden over with two wickets from Masden and Aneurin Donald, putting Northamptonshire in dominating position.
Early Wickets, But Northamptonshire Rebounds
In Northamptonshire’s second innings, Derbyshire’s teenage quick, Harry Moore, gave his team some hope, getting two wickets for six runs. Moore, the debutant bowler, dismissed Prithvi Shaw LBW in two overs, and Wayne Masden caught Luke Procter in the slips, marking the 250th catch for the county in first-class cricket.
When Derbyshire reached 6 for 2, it looked for all the world as though they were going to fight their way back into the game. Surrey then struck back, removing Northamptonshire’s openers quickly, but Northamptonshire’s young pair, Gus Miller and James Sales, batted well and shared a 76-run partnership.
Miller, who made 42, showed some fine accumulation, driving George Chappell to the mid-on regions for four to start his innings. There was also a useful contribution from Sells, who scored 40 runs in the opener to put Northamptonshire in a better position.
Spin dominates Derbyshire’s first innings.
Earlier in the day, it was Chahal who spinned the Gujurati batsman and made them look foolish in front of the Maharashtra Cricket Association. Derbyshire’s middle order, while playing against such renditions, failed to get on the county’s line.
Aneurin Donald made a strong effort to hit Chahal for six, but was caught at square leg while attempting the same shot. Masden, who was busy sweeping and cutting the spinners, departed courtesy of a beautiful Chahal delivery that pitched in the middle and took the top off.
This led to a catastrophic downfall for Derbyshire, and Chappell followed it up by getting out in the next two balls, caught diving mid-off by Luke Procter. Rob Keogh also performed a fantastic job of destroying Derbyshire’s innings. Rob Keogh struck early, dismissing Luis Reece for 50, and then forced David Lloyd to bowl as he attempted a sweep.
Keogh bowled even more tightly, placing Northamptonshire in a dominant position in the match. Keogh also claimed the wicket of Martin Andersson, who was caught by Justin Broad at a leg slip. Chahal complemented Kohli’s superb inning and picked up two wickets in the last over, eliminating Alex Thomson and Jack Morley on consecutive balls.
Northamptonshire’s Lead Grows
Even after losing early wickets, the Northamptonshire team continued to add on more and more runs in the second inning. Gus Miller and James Sales dealt well with the storm from Derbyshire’s bowlers and batsmen, giving their side a comfortable lead.
Miller looked reliable, and his driving and ball cutting were impressively good, while Sales took advantage of the bad deliveries. Their combination ensured that Northamptonshire took the lead beyond 200 before rain halted play.
Once again, Rob Keogh batted brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 46 at the day’s stump draw. His reverse sweep was fast and fluent, and it was very evident when he took three fours of Alex Thomson’s over to put Northamptonshire on the front foot for a commanding lead.
As light deteriorated further, Keogh anchored the innings well for the home side and put Derbyshire on the back foot when the teams resumed action.