Old head Barnett saves Gloucs

Cork in the runs as Derbyshire draw

County Championship D2, County Ground: Gloucestershire (3pts) 179 & 225-7 drew with Derbyshire 398 (7pts)

Scorecard

A century opening stand between Kim Barnett and Craig Spearman was enough to earn Gloucestershire a draw from their encounter with Derbyshire.

The visitors reached 225 for seven off 54 overs after being skittled for 179 first time around and then seeing Dominic Cork help lift Derbyshire to a first-innings total of 398.

Derbyshire secured 11 points and Gloucestershire 6.25 and, with a full day lost to rain, a draw was always the most likely outcome.

Spearman (95) and Barnett saved the day for Gloucestershire, putting on 115 for the first wicket inside 21 overs to keep the Derbyshire attack at bay.

The home side enjoyed a 219-run first-innings lead and were looking to skittle their visitors to take the spoils.

Barnett was first to go, beaten for pace by Graeme Welch for 49, having hit seven fours and a six.

Welch then saw off Chris Taylor (15), who edged to Steve Stubbings at third slip, to leave Gloucestershire on 147 for two.

Matt Windows went for 10, trapped lbw by Cork with the score on 191 and the same bowler dismissed skipper Mark Alleyne for a duck two balls later to leave the visitors on 191 for four.

Jack Russell (2) edged one from Kevin Dean behind to wicketkeeper Karl Krikken with the score on 196.

And then Spearman went lbw to Cork five short of his hundred. He had faced 169 balls and struck 16 fours.

Resuming on 226 for four Derbyshire rattled up 398 all out with Chris Bassano (78) and cork leading the way.

Mike Smith, who finished with four for 87, ended Bassano's stay at the crease, trapping him lbw to leave Derbyshire on 269 for five.

Tom Lungley maintained the hosts' momentum, but he departed three overs later for 38 with the score on 287 for six when he was trapped lbw by Fisher while attempting an audacious sweep.

Enter Cork, who raced to 67 from 61 balls, launching two huge sixes and six fours to set up an unreachable total.

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Derbyshire: S D Stubbings, M J Di Venuto, A I Gait, C W G Bassano, T Lungley, D R Hewson, D G Cork (Capt), K M Krikken (Wkt), G Welch, Mohammad Ali, K J Dean.

Gloucestershire: C M Spearman, K J Barnett, M G N Windows, C G Taylor, M W Alleyne (Capt), A P R Gidman, R C Russell (Wkt), A M Smith, I D Fisher, J Lewis, B W Gannon.

Umpires: B Leadbeater and N J Llong