Wednesday 20 July 2016 20:29, UK
Captain Jacques Rudolph made an unbeaten 51 as Glamorgan beat Derbyshire by four wickets at Colwyn Bay to secure their first Specsavers County Championship Division Two win of the season.
Chasing 196 to win after Billy Godleman's century had led the visitors to a second-innings score of 536, Glamorgan stuttered when losing four wickets for 29 runs to slip to 85-4.
However, Rudolph held firm and ensured the hosts reached their target with 17 overs to spare on the final day, moving them off the bottom of the table in the process.
Having been made to follow on after trailing by a huge 341 on first innings, Derbyshire made a far better job of their second effort and began the final day on 413-6.
Skipper Godleman (106) and Matthew Critchley (70 not out) took their stand to 113 and the score to 496 before Godleman fell after reaching his sixth hundred for Derbyshire.
He edged a Graham Wagg (3-93) delivery and was caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace, who claimed his ninth victim of the match to equal a county record.
Critchley and the tail then added a further 40 for the final three wickets and Derbyshire were dismissed for 536, leaving the hosts 196 to win.
They made a positive start, Wallace (40) and Nick Selman (26) putting on 56 for the first wicket, before the latter fell lbw to Shiv Thakor.
Tony Palladino then bowled Will Bragg (5) before two wickets fell for one run either side of tea, Wallace caught at backward square-leg off Wayne Madsen, and Aneurin Donald, who made 234 in the first innings, falling for a duck this time when he hit Will Davis to mid-wicket.
That made it 85-4 and a tight finish looked on the cards but Rudolph and David Lloyd (30) got the chase back on track with a vital stand of 69.
However, Madsen (2-24) then removed Lloyd and Wagg (1) fell to Critchley, giving Derbyshire a chance once again.
But Craig Meschede quickly dashed their hopes, arriving with the score 157-6 and proceeding to hit four fours and two sixes, the second to win the match, as he made 36 not out off 22 balls.
At Tunbridge Wells, Sussex successfully batted out the final day to secure a draw after being made to follow on by Kent.
The visitors began their second innings at the start of the final day, facing a deficit of 242, and battled well to reach stumps on 255-5.
Chris Nash (18) was the only man to fall in the morning session, miscuing a drive off left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum to Sam Northeast at short extra-cover.
Kent bowled nine maidens in the first 16 overs and South African Kagiso Rabada's first six overs went for just eight runs, but wickets proved elusive.
After the break, Luke Wells (22) mistimed a drive to give Qayyum (2-80) a return catch and, after facing 168 balls for a patient 66, Harry Finch was caught at short extra cover off James Tredwell (3-76).
But New Zealand international Ross Taylor, making his final four-day appearance for Sussex and fresh from scoring 142 not out in the first innings, played a fine innings either side of tea to make 68, adding 61 for the fourth wicket with Luke Wright.
With the game almost safe, Taylor holed out off Tredwell, and Wright (38) fell lbw to the same bowler, before Ben Brown (25 not out) and Chris Jordan (seven not out) saw out the remaining overs.
It was day one at Cheltenham, where Gloucestershire are hosting Leicestershire, and seamers dominated as 15 wickets fell.
Leicestershire chose to field first and dismissed Gloucestershire for 183, with Ben Raine (4-57), Richard Jones (2-41) and Neil Dexter (2-11) among the wickets.
The hosts were 24-3 and then 67-4 when skipper Michael Klinger (25) was caught in the slips off Raine, but Jack Taylor (51) led something of a revival, adding 53 for the sixth wicket with Benny Howell (27).
The visiting batsmen found it no easier on a lively pitch when their turn came and closed on 86-5 in reply.
David Payne (2-20) trapped Paul Horton (0) lbw with the very first ball of the innings and later removed Niall O'Brien (6) in the same fashion.
Josh Shaw (2-23) dismissed Mark Cosgrove (9) and Mark Pettini (1) but opener Angus Robson is unbeaten on 49 after a battling knock.
