Derbyshire’s young pace bowler Ben Aitchison returned career-best figures before the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Durham at Derby ended in a draw.
The 21-year-old bowled superbly to take 6 for 28 from 16 overs but 82 from Ned Eckersley and a composed 39 by Cameron Bancroft ruled out any late drama at the Incora County Ground.
Bancroft batted for nearly three hours and Eckersley passed 7,000 first-class runs on another cold and blustery day as Durham were bowled out for 208.
Matt Critchley captured his 100th first-class wicket but the game was always heading for a draw once Durham reached the 108 needed to avoid following-on.
Aitchison’s spell briefly raised Derbyshire’s hopes of enforcing it, but Bancroft’s discipline ensured Durham were spared any embarrassment.
Derbyshire’s bowling in a truncated morning session matched Bancroft’s application to the extent that only 31 runs came from 14 overs.
Aitchison’s line demanded respect and after Scott Borthwick survived an edge which did not quite carry to second slip off the fourth ball of the day, the Durham skipper fell victim to the seamer’s relentless accuracy.
Borthwick was defeated by just enough movement to take the outside edge and Brooke Guest, keeping wicket in place of the concussed Harvey Hosein, plunged forward to take a good low catch.
Three balls later, David Bedingham, who made a double hundred against Derbyshire last month, was walking back without scoring after a leading edge was well taken by Anuj Dal running in from point.
Bancroft and Jack Burnham battled through to lunch but in the second over after the interval, Burnham chased a wide ball from Sam Conners and was caught behind with Durham still 51 away from the follow-on.
That was comfortably saved before Bancroft was lbw pushing forward at Critchley and after Eckersley took four fours from an Alex Hughes over to reach 50, Stuart Poynter gloved a sweep and was caught at slip.
Aitchison completed his first five wicket haul when Eckersley played across the line and Mark Wood was caught at deep mid-wicket to give him the best figures for Derbyshire against Durham.
Durham return to action on Thursday for the first this season in front of members, when Essex are the visitors.
Day 4 reaction: Ned Eckersley
Day 3
Durham record-breaker Chris Rushworth celebrated another milestone on the third day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.
The 34-year-old, who last week became Durham’s leading first-class wicket-taker, claimed his 29th five wicket haul, finishing with 6 for 49, while England fast bowler Mark Wood took 2 for 84.
Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman scored 41 before Wayne Madsen, 42, shared a stand of 99 in 28 overs with Matt Critchley who during his 49 became only the 28th player for the county to score 4,000 runs and take 150 wickets in all formats.
The home side had to bring in Anuj Dal as a concussion replacement for wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein who was hit on the back of the helmet by Brydon Carse and he steered Derbyshire to 258 before Ben Aitchison struck twice to reduce Durham to 20 for 2.
Rushworth’s day started with Godleman driving and cutting him for three fours in the opening over before he and Wood hit back.
Rushworth swung one in to trap Brooke Guest lbw for 30 and Wood found lift and movement to have Leus du Plooy caught behind for a second ball duck.
When Godleman edged to second slip charging Rushworth, Derbyshire had lost three wickets in nine balls but they were revived, not for the first time this season, by Madsen and Critchley.
Madsen cover drove fluently while Critchley counter-attacked against Wood, pulling him for two sixes in an over to restore Derbyshire’s fortunes at lunch.
The pair were one short of a fourth century stand of the campaign when Critchley clipped Rushworth to mid-wicket and Hosein was forced to leave the field when he ducked into a Carse delivery.
After a short break for rain, Carse took the wicket Durham wanted when he beat Madsen’s drive to pin him lbw and after tea was taken early because of bad light, Wood bowled Alex Hughes who was beaten for pace.
Aitchison whipped Wood for six before he top-edged Carse and Fynn Hudson-Prentice became Rushworth’s fourth victim when he missed a big drive.
Rushworth had Sam Conners caught at point and Dal lbw to complete his second sixth wicket haul against Derbyshire this season, leaving Durham to negotiate 15 overs in which they lost Alex Lees and nightwatchman Ben Raine.
Derbyshire and Durham were again frustrated by the weather after day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at the Incora County Ground Derby was washed out.
After only 17 overs were possible on the opening day, any chances of making up lost time disappeared in the morning when steady rain and strong winds ruled out any prospect of play.
Following an initial inspection, umpires Tim Robinson and Peter Hartley decided to take lunch at 12.45pm but with no sign of any improvement and with more rain forecast throughout the afternoon, the decision to abandon play for the day was taken shortly after 1pm.
Although the forecast for the weekend is better, it means both teams will struggle to force a victory when the match resumes tomorrow (Saturday) with Derbyshire 48 without loss in their first innings.
Derbyshire’s openers denied Durham’s bowlers on a rain-shortened opening day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.
Billy Godleman, 24, and Brooke Guest, 23, negotiated 17 overs in difficult conditions to reach 48 without loss before play was called off at 4.30pm.
Mark Wood was unlucky not to take a wicket in his seven overs after Durham won the toss but the weather made it a test for players and umpires.
On a day borrowed from winter, Durham’s bowlers had to contend with a buffeting wind that forced Wood to abort his run-up in his brief opening spell from the Racecourse End.
The conditions were a challenge for everyone, not least the hundred or so Derbyshire members who braved the unseasonable weather on the first day spectators were allowed back to the Incora County Ground.
For Godleman and Guest, it was a question of resisting Durham’s pace attack under slate grey skies with the floodlights on from the start although it was not just about survival for the openers.
Godleman moved into one-day mode several times, advancing down the pitch to smack Ben Raines down the ground while Rushworth was dispatched through the covers.
Rushworth was close to having Godleman caught behind before rain forced the players off after 35 minutes and although the match resumed after an early lunch, bad light and more rain had the last word.