| LV=County Championship Division Two, Nevil Highway, Bristol (day three): |
| Gloucestershire 377: O Value 132, Van Buuren 78; Dal 6-69 |
| Derbyshire 398-9: Du Plooy 103*, Reece 77, Got here 68; Gohar 4-121 |
| Derbyshire (7pts) lead Gloucestershire (6pts) by 21 with two wickets standing |
| Scorecard |
Skipper Leus du Plooy’s fifth County Championship century of a prolific season ensured Derbyshire of a primary innings lead on a rain-curtailed third day towards Gloucestershire in Bristol.
The 28-year-old South African was 103 not out at stumps, taking his run tally within the competitors this summer time to 1,155 at a median of 88.84, as his facet posted 390-9 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 377.
Unbeaten on 44 in the beginning of play, du Plooy’s innings prolonged to 4 hours on a sluggish pitch. He confronted 154 deliveries and struck 13 fours.
Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar was probably the most profitable of the house bowlers with 4-121 from 38 overs.
Persistent rain all through the morning delayed the beginning. An early lunch was taken at midday, with a view to a 12.40pm begin, however it was an extra half hour earlier than circumstances have been deemed playable.
With 5 overs till the second new ball, Gloucestershire opened with spin at each ends, however neither Gohar nor debutant Ed Middleton was capable of engineer a breakthrough.
A single off Gohar took du Plooy, unbeaten on 44 in a single day, to his sixth Championship half-century of the summer time, off 81 balls, with seven fours.
The brand new ball was taken at 272-6, however made little preliminary affect as Anuj Dal supported his skipper with a worthwhile innings of 21.
It ended with the reintroduction of Gohar and a supply which appeared to maintain slightly low in piercing Dal’s defence and bowling him between bat and pad.
At 292-7, Derbyshire trailed by 85 and required one other significant partnership. Alex Thomson helped du Plooy provide it with 34 from 65 balls in an eighth-wicket stand of 65 in 15 overs.
Having hit 5 fours, Thomson miscued an tried pull shot and was on his method again to the pavilion earlier than Miles Hammond pouched a simple catch.
The unflappable du Plooy then discovered one other dependable companion in Mark Watt as they closed the remaining 20-run deficit of their opponents’ first innings rating – it was the captain who put his facet in entrance with a swept single off Gohar.
By tea, the pair had taken the rating to 388-8 off 108 overs, with two extra to notch the 12 runs needed for a fourth batting level.
Unbeaten on 97, du Plooy wanted simply two deliveries after the break to loft off-spinner Ollie Value over mid-on for his thirteenth 4 and 100 off 151 balls.
Two balls into the second over after tea gentle rain began falling and the gamers left the sector with the scoreboard studying 394-8. 9 extra overs have been misplaced earlier than the resumption noticed Watt cowl drive Middleton for 4.
Derbyshire wanted two runs off the ultimate ball of the over for the additional batting level, however Middleton stored his cool and registered his maiden top notch wicket when Watt gave him the cost and was stumped by James Bracey yards out of his crease.
Watt left the pitch thumping his pad in frustration, which should have grown when the umpires took the gamers off once more, this time for dangerous gentle, with out one other ball bowled.
Gloucestershire not less than had the comfort of a 3rd bowling level, courtesy of their younger leg-spinner, as extra rain started falling and umpires Tom Lungley and Jack Shantry deserted play for the day at 5.25pm.
Report provided by ECB Reporters’ Community.