Madsen saves face but Derbyshire finish on a low note

Worcestershire 475 for 7 dec (Clarke 194, Leach 107*, Mitchell 67) and 40 for 1 beat Derbyshire 248 (Hosein 108, Leach 5-60) and 266 (Madsen 100, Hosein 59) by nine wickets
Scorecard

For the first time in 92 years Derbyshire finished a County Championship season without a single victory after losing to Worcestershire by nine wickets in their final Specsavers Division Two fixture at New Road.

Having started the last day at 15 for 1, still 212 behind, they held off the home side for five hours until they were dug out for 266. Worcestershire had to make 40 and lost Brett D'Oliveira before securing third place behind Essex and Kent.

At least the division's bottom county went down on a note of defiance thanks to Wayne Madsen's sixth championship century of the season and Harvey Hosein's achievement in becoming only the fourth Derbyshire wicketkeeper to make a hundred and a fifty in a match.

The last Derbyshire player to score six hundreds was Chris Rogers in 2009, and there was another milestone for Madsen in closing the campaign with a personal-best total of 1,292 runs, the fourth year in a row that he has topped 1,000.

There was also a distinction on the bowling side as Joe Leach took 7 for 108 in the match and ended his summer with 65 wickets, the most in Division Two.

Leach had given Worcestershire encouragement in his second over of the day. Alex Hughes went forward and drove hard but edged to Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

More trouble for Derbyshire followed when Billy Godleman hoisted a ball from Miguel Cummins straight to Ed Barnard at fine leg, a shot that was perhaps not in keeping with a side battling to avoid defeat.

At 29 for 3, Derbyshire were still 198 behind but Madsen gave them some hope with Tom Wood's help until his younger partner was caught behind the wicket off Barnard after making 10 out of 45 in 10 overs.

It was the appearance of Hosein that injected new conviction. In making his fifth consecutive score of 50 or more, the 20-year-old judged his role to perfection, allowing Madsen to take the main role but scoring consistently himself as they put on 124 in 26 overs.

Another New Road pitch conformed to the pattern of the season in becoming flatter the longer the game went on. Even Madsen's dismissal, leg-before to Charlie Morris for exactly 100 after hitting 15 fours and a six, did not immediately open the door to Worcestershire.

Hosein maintained his unflappable tempo and Tom Milnes brought a bolder approach until Daryl Mitchell intervened with two wickets in eight balls

The seventh bowler in the attack, the home captain bowled Milnes for 36 and Greg Cork for 4. Suddenly Worcestershire's challenge was reignited and in the next over, D'Oliveira accounted for Hosein, caught at short leg for 59, and Will Davis, lbw without scoring, in successive deliveries.

Cummins then took the new ball and when Tony Palladino was given out leg-before, the last five wickets had fallen for the addition of 11 runs.