Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
Shiv strokes 2nd Derbyshire half-century
DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND – James Taylor’s century was not his most free-flowing. It actually took him more balls to get there than any of the previous 13 in his first-class career and it is hard to recall a great many memorable strokes within it.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
But Derbyshire would happily take one or two innings just like it as they set about trying to save their opening home fixture of this LV County Championship season.
Taylor, still harbouring hopes of being involved in England’s Ashes plans this summer, grafted, nudged and scampered his way to 112 on the third day of the match Saturday at the County Ground.
It helped Nottinghamshire to a first innings total of 443 and a lead of 187, which left a substantial gap for Derbyshire to make up and still lots of time to bat out if they are to avoid successive Championship defeats.
By the close, they were 143-5 and are still just about in there fighting. Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored a second half-century of the match and Wayne Madsen made his first real contribution with the bat this season but how Derbyshire needed those two to still be there at the close.
For a while, that did seem possible. Derbyshire hit trouble early again when both Billy Godleman and Wes Durston were sent back to the pavilion by leg-before decisions at 24-2 but Madsen and Chanderpaul saw off the initial dangers and began to play with confidence.
The West Indian was as immaculate in the way he left the ball and was quickly on to anything loose as he was in his unbeaten 87 in the first innings. He pulled one ball from Harry Gurney for a flat six and brought up his 50 in only 70 balls with eight fours.
Chanderpaul bats with splendid economy but Luke Fletcher found a rising ball and a nick through to the wicketkeeper, Chris Read, ended his stay for 57 at 107-3.
It has been hard to tell if Madsen has been in good or bad touch so far this season because he hadn’t managed a start but he looked good here, driving with authority on his way to 47, off 137 balls with seven fours, until Gurney delivered the second body blow to Derbyshire’s hopes with another lbw decision.
Seven overs later, the out-of-sorts Ross Whiteley was caught at slip off Samit Patel’s slow left-arm, leaving Dan Redfern (15 not out) and David Wainwright (four not out) to start a long haul in the morning.
James Taylor
Notts began the day with a lead of 69 and five wickets in hand. Derbyshire’s task was to take those last five wickets as cheaply as they could.
They made a decent start when Read chased a ball from Tim Groenewald and was caught behind for 33 in the seventh over of the day. The busy Read can cause damage in a hurry.
That was precisely the tactic Stuart Broad opted for. His approach was adventurous, to say the least, and Derbyshire appeared reluctant to see it brought to an end.
They dropped him three times in the space of five balls – Whiteley at mid off, substitute Greg Cork off the most difficult of them all at long leg and Wainwright the easiest of them at deep cover.
Finally, Broad squirted another chance to long leg and Groenewald held on but only after the England player had been allowed to move on to 41.
One ball later, Jon Clare was on a hat-trick as Andre Adams, who will not bowl again for five weeks because of a torn calf, limped to the middle with his runner and then limped straight back to the pavilion after nudging his first ball to Durston at first slip.
Fletcher was not so easily removed and he accompanied Taylor to his hundred, off 265 balls with six fours. Taylor did everything his team could have asked of him and has given Notts a good chance to win this match, unless Derbyshire can produce something heroic.
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