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Taylor's career best ends Madsen's marathon

18 April 2016

Derbyshire obdurately batted themselves into what looks a position safe from defeat after two days of this Championship game at the Brightside Ground.

Gloucestershire briefly took the initiative on the second morning with three wickets in the first hour, only for Wayne Madsen to find an equally resilient partner in wicket keeper Tom Poynton, the pair putting together a stand of 128 for the 7th wicket in 40 overs, Madsen completing his hundred and Poynton scoring his first fifty since 2013.

In the end Derbyshire weren't dismissed the stroke of tea, Madsen being last out for 150 when the visitors had 444 on the board. Liam Norwell and Jack Taylor both took four wickets, Taylor's return of 4-61 being his best in first class cricket.

It left Gloucestershire to start their first innings after five sessions in the field, and although they lost Cameron Bancroft shortly before stumps, a score of 110-1 was a good response on a placid Bristol wicket.

Listen to Jack Taylor at the close of day two here :

Derbyshire began the day on 242-3 with Wayne Madsen and Neil Broom together, but Gloucestershire's desire for quick wickets was met by both Liam Norwell and David Payne, both of whom enjoyed success in their opening spells.

Norwell's third ball of the day drew an edge from Broom which was pouched by Noema-Barnett at slip, the New Zealander adding only two to his overnight 30 not out.

Payne soon yorked Durston for 12 and when Thakor (7) also edged Payne into the slips - Dent taking the catch this time - Gloucestershire had taken three wickets for the addition of only 24 runs.

Payne and Norwell shared 14 overs before Gloucestershire skipper Gareth Roderick made a change, with Payne twice seeing Madsen nearly play the ball into his stumps. The visitors' four day captain from 2015 was to make the most of his stay at the crease.

Both teams had accrued two points when the allocated overs were up, and it was ten overs beyond that point that Derbyshire brought up their 300, with wicket keeper Poynton showing the same defiant approach as Madsen, who scored only nine in the first hour's play.

Kieran Noema-Barnett and Josh Shaw both bowled tidily but along with Jack Taylor they were unable to replicate the same threat as the Derbyshire seventh wicket pair added 53 together to take the visitors to 319-6 at lunch.

At that point Madsen was 87 not out, and a straight drive off Payne took him to within sight of a hundred which was long on graft, and which he completed as his innings' clock ticked past six hours. He faced 276 balls and struck 14 fours, the bulk of them either straight or off the back foot.

With an older ball and a pitch which appeared increasingly easy to bat on, Madsen and Poynton started to punch or cut anything off a good length, Shaw conceding three boundaries in one over. A pull to mid wicket by Madsen brought up the century stand - made in 36 overs - and he was also reverse sweeping Jack Taylor with some confidence.

Poynton had not made a Championship half century for nearly three years but he was to do so here (127 balls, 7x4) before a record seventh wicket stand for Derbyshire against Gloucestershire was broken by the persevering Norwell, who had Poynton caught by Noema-Barnett at first slip.

Left to bat with tail, Madsen received just enough support from Fletcher (11), Cotton (11) and Carter to reach his own 150, the last fifty runs coming at a more fluid rate and containing a further seven boundaries. Jack Taylor finally got his man with a routine stumping for skipper Roderick, and having accounted for Fletcher and Cotton as well, the all rounder had returned career best Championship figures of 4-61.

Despite the nature of the pitch, Derbyshire's total of 444 was still a formidable one for Cameron Bancroft and Chris Dent to face as they set out to lead Gloucestershire's response against Nottinghamshire loanee Luke Fletcher and his former Trent Bridge team mate Andy Carter.

With 34 overs in the final session, the Gloucestershire pair could not exclusively defend, and although Dent was troubled initially by Fletcher's height and bounce with the new ball, Bancroft soon got the scoreboard ticking with some straight drives which were easy on the eye.

Dent took 20 balls to get off the mark with a single off Carter, but joined the Australian right hander in accelerating the scoring, especially square of the wicket with both men cutting hard against Carter and Ben Cotton in particular.

The fifty partnership came up in the 18th over, and although Thakor was also introduced Derbyshire showed little threat until umpires Alex Wharf and Nick Cook decided the light was too poor to continue with Gloucestershire 89-0.

A further mini session was enough for Dent to complete his half century from 89 balls with eight fours, and for Cameron Bancroft to bring up a century first wicket partnership with a another straight drive off Thakor before the same bowler spoiled a good final session for Gloucestershire by knocking back the Western Australian's off stump for 41.

Liam Norwell saw out the day as night watchman as Gloucestershire closed on 110-1, with Chris Dent 61 not out. The deficit is 334, enough for Gloucestershire to think about nothing else than batting throughout Tuesday's play to wipe it out.

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