Sunny Derby

A modern struggle on a historic ground

Yesterday’s weather forecast, promising another sunlit day, encouraged me to undertake a two-hour sojourn to Derby. The journey was not without its trials, as the M1 around Sheffield was beset with traffic works, reducing me to such a speed (barely 50mph) as would have tested the patience of even the most ardent cricket enthusiast.

The match was a four-day affair between Derbyshire and Middlesex. The ground, steeped in history, still bears the Gateway—formerly the starting point for the racecourse inaugurated in May 1848. Derbyshire was formed on November 4, 1870, and saw its final race in 1939. Middlesex, currently third in the second division, trail Yorkshire by fifteen points with two matches remaining, while Derbyshire languish at the bottom, with a solitary victory to their name this summer. Fortuitously, I was able to park my car within the ground, and allowed to use my Yorkshire membership to get in.

In days gone by, one could sit in one’s car and watch the match from a verdant hill, but now, alas, offices have sprung up where once there was only green. The ground boasts three scoreboards, a unique feature that adds to its charm. I found a seat in a temporary stand, positioned just behind the bowler’s arm, a vantage point that has always been my favourite for observing the nuances of the game.

Derbyshire, having won the toss, inexplicably chose to bat on a wicket as green as the countryside. They soon found themselves in trouble, their first wicket falling with 26 runs on the board. The ball, with its unpredictable bounce, kept the batsmen on their toes, some deliveries skimming low while others reared up menacingly. But by lunch, they had lost only one more wicket—an excellent outcome in the circumstances.

Post-lunch, Harry Came battled valiantly to reach 66 in two and a half hours, a testament to his grit and determination. But his departure precipitated a collapse, with Derbyshire slipping to 133 for eight. Toby Roland-Jones, with his medium pace, wrought havoc, claiming five wickets. A brief partnership between Harry Moore and Jack Morley offered a glimmer of hope, but it was snuffed out when Jack, in a moment of folly, charged down the wicket only to be bowled by Luke Hollman. The final wicket fell with Harry Moore caught on the fence, ending the innings at 173. The last two wickets were squandered, a poor display that left the spectators shaking their heads.

Now tea was taken, and soon after the resumption, Sam Robson was dismissed for a duck. However, the Derbyshire bowlers failed to exploit the conditions as effectively as Middlesex’s, and by the close of play, Middlesex had reached 125 for one, with the prospect of a substantial score looming on the morrow.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, managed to secure three valuable batting points against Glamorgan, thereby maintaining their fifteen-point lead.

Brian Sanderson is an ACS member. He serves on the Yorkshire Cricket Archives Committee. If you would like to contribute to this newsletter, please either respond to the email in which you received it, or leave a comment below.