Panesar puts Sussex back on top
Sussex are back on top of County Championship Division Two after wrapping up a crushing victory against Derbyshire at Horsham by an innings and 109 runs, with more than four sessions to spare
20-Aug-2010
Sussex are back on top of County Championship Division Two after wrapping up a crushing victory against Derbyshire at Horsham by an innings and 109 runs, with more than four sessions to spare.
The win was completed at 3.20pm on the third day of the game, with Derbyshire bowled out for 225 in their second innings after resuming at 27 for 2. Monty Panesar and Corey Collymore, who had taken the two Derbyshire wickets to fall on the second evening, were the chief destroyers. Former West Indies paceman Collymore finished with 4 for 50 and slow left-armer Panesar further strengthened his claims to an Ashes tour place this winter with 4 for 67.
Collymore now has 51 wickets to his name in the competition this summer, and Panesar 43. With Luke Wright also taking a wicket with his first ball on day three, trapping Wes Durston lbw for 33, the Sussex bowling attack proved too potent for Derbyshire throughout.
The visitors, who remain rooted to the foot of the table, first lost Wayne Madsen for 23 to a sharp catch at short leg by Ben Brown off Collymore, and then Durston was dismissed leg before wicket by Wright as he played around a ball that was fast and full.
By lunch the visitors were 130 for 5, with Panesar having Dan Redfern caught at slip for 19 on the stroke of the interval. Robin Peterson and Greg Smith fell soon afterwards, with Peterson well held at square leg by Murray Goodwin off Collymore - now operating from the Railway End - and Derbyshire's new captain Smith lbw to Panesar just one short of his half-century.
Panesar also won an lbw appeal against Jon Clare, to leave Derbyshire 178 for 8, and only a few defiant blows from Steve Adshead and Steffan Jones delayed the end. Jones drove Panesar straight for six, and then pulled him lustily for four, but he was stumped for 17 from the very next ball as he danced down the pitch to aim something even more violent.
Yasir Arafat clean bowled last man Mark Footitt to wrap up the win, leaving Adshead unbeaten on 31, and Sussex's maximum 24-point haul from this game makes them odds on favourites to win the division as well as clinch promotion back to Division One at the first attempt.
