County Championship Division Two round-up
Wednesday 13 May 2015 10:06, UK
Kevin Pietersen's last attempt for an England reprieve fell on deaf ears despite his near-record breaking innings for Surrey.
The 34-year-old scored 355 not out in his side's LV= County Championship Division Two match but his heroics at The Oval were overshadowed by the confirmation he would not be considered by England this summer.
The unbeaten Pietersen, who will leave London to head back to India on Friday to join up with his IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad, finished just two runs short of the all-time record for a Surrey batsman.
His total was still enough for the sixth-highest score in the county competition's history.
He comfortably eclipsed his own previous first-class best of 254 - hitting his 355 from just 396 deliveries with 36 fours and 15 sixes.
He was left high and dry when Surrey's No 11 Matt Dunn, who scored just five runs off 104 minutes in his role as Pietersen's last supporting artist, gave an easy catch from Ben Raine's bowling. Raine finished with 4-124.
'KP' did not emerge for the start of Leicestershire's second innings following his lengthy seven-and-a-half hours at the crease as Dunn quickly made up for his dismissal, trapping Lewis Hill lbw for a duck as the visitors started badly.
Ned Eckersley hit a superb 118 in reply for the visitors in an effort to avoid defeat. His fine knock consisted of a six and 17 fours in a second-wicket stand of 161 with Angus Robson (55).
The Foxes got themselves 45 runs in front at 310-5 in their second innings by the close.
Meanwhile at Old Trafford, an unbroken 130-run partnership between Peter Handscomb and Hamish Marshall ensured Gloucestershire have high hopes of securing victory against hosts Lancashire on the final day on Wednesday.
Paul Horton's 168 helped Lancashire to 364 in reply to Gloucestershire's first-innings 388 and Handscomb's and Marshall's efforts ensured the visitors stretched their lead to 230 when they reached stumps on 206-3.
Chesney Hughes ended a two-year wait for a century to put Derbyshire on course for a second victory of the season as they totally dominated the third day of their game against Northamptonshire in Derby.
Hughes (104) and Ben Slater (96) shared an opening stand of 205 to lay the platform for Derbyshire to declare on 407-5, setting Northamptonshire an improbable victory target of 427.
Any slim hopes they harboured were quickly dashed by Mark Footitt, who removed both openers in his first three overs, and at the close Northants were 40-2, still 387 short of what would be the highest fourth-innings total in their history.
Kent's chances of securing their opening win of the season were enhanced in the closing moments of Tuesday's play against Glamorgan at Canterbury when Matt Coles removed Jacques Rudolph.
James Tredwell, Joe Denly and Fabian Cowdrey passed fifty as Kent were all out for 327 in the second innings to set a victory target of 404, before Glamorgan's opener Rudolph perished for 14 as they reached 32 for one in the final 11 overs before stumps.
