Yorkshire new boys seal stunning victory

Yorkshire 677 for 7 dec (Root 236, Bairstow 186) beat Derbyshire 475 (Hughes 270*) and 163 (Madsen 52, Durston 50, Brooks 5-40) by an innings and 39 runs
Scorecard

Twenty-eight minutes into the final session at Headingley, Yorkshire clinched victory in what was a remarkable cricket match. Derbyshire, after scoring 475 in their first innings, lost by an innings and 39 runs, prompting jubilant scenes on the field and in the stands.

Yesterday evening wise heads predicted a draw at the end of a possibly dull day. The pitch had been so flat, and so many runs had been plundered by batsmen on both sides on the first three days, that it was difficult to see how Yorkshire would take the necessary ten wickets. But they did it, and with more than thirty overs to spare.

The hero of the hour was Jack Brooks. A few eyebrows were raised when Yorkshire brought him to Headingley from Northamptonshire to bolster the bowling for their first season back in Division One, but this afternoon he showed what a shrewd move it was.

Derbyshire had set off needing 202 to make Yorkshire bat again after the home side had added 80 in ten overs. They made a shaky start but the fourth wicket partnership of Wayne Madsen and Wes Durston spent 25 overs steadying the innings, and it began to look as if Yorkshire's chance was slipping away. But after they had put on 92 Brooks re-entered the attack and promptly got rid of both of them, first Durston to a fine reaction catch by Phil Jaques at midwicket, then Madsen lbw in his next over.

When Madsen left Derbyshire were 150 for 5. The last five wickets could muster only 13 runs, and Brooks claimed three of them. In the first over after tea he took two in two balls, Dan Redfern caught behind and Tom Poynton lbw. The hat-trick ball missed Tim Groenewald's off stump by a whisker after it hit his pad. Brooks bowled with sharp pace and reverse swing which the middle and lower order could not handle.

Bowling at the other end Adil Rashid, who was finding turn and some bounce, knocked back Groenewald's off stump. Tony Palladino took guard despite the side strain which is likely to keep him out of Derbyshire's next match, but it was no surprise when Brooks trapped him. Brooks might be the most spectacular celebrator of a wicket in county cricket - a raucous roar and a sprint almost to the midwicket boundary, fists pumping - and he surpassed his earlier celebratory efforts with the fall of the last wicket.

There are signs that Brooks might become something of a crowd favourite here. "I was a little bit worried when I first came here how they would take to a so-called foreigner from down south coming in, but as long as I keep putting performances in like that once in a while they'll take to me," he said.

In the early part of the Derbyshire innings the other newcomer to Yorkshire's attack, Liam Plunkett, took, arguably, the two most important wickets of the day. First he had Chesney Hughes, scorer of 270 monumental runs in the first innings, caught at slip, then Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught behind. One of the most remarkable statistics in a match that was full of them is that Chanderpaul's contribution to the 1315 runs scored in the match was eight.

And spare a thought for Hughes. Only three batsmen (Peter Perrin, Jason Gallian and Phil Mead) have scored more runs for a team to then lose by an innings. For Derbyshire, this defeat will be especially tough to take.