Rain forces draw at Chelmsford
Rain was the winner as Essex and Derbyshire had to settle for a draw in their County Championship match at Chelmsford
26-Aug-2011
Rain was the winner as Essex and Derbyshire had to settle for a draw in their County Championship match at Chelmsford.
As on the opening day, play was washed out on the final day and in all, a total of 233 overs were lost to the weather. Derbyshire were due to resume their second innings on 187 for 4 and holding a lead of 112. But the weather was to mock the efforts of the groundstaff, with the game called off at 1.50pm.
On a couple of occasions, the rain stopped long enough for the covers to be removed, only for it to return as umpires Nigel Cowley and George Sharp were to make an inspection. It all added up to bitter disappointment for both counties, each of whom had gone into the match needing victory to keep alive their slender promotion hopes.
But a draw leaves them all but resigned to meeting again in the Second Division next season. In a match in which Essex claimed seven points and Derbyshire six, Wes Durston will look back on it with more satisfaction than anyone else.
The 30 year-old Derbyshire batsman followed up his 48 in the first innings with an unbeaten 62 in the second, during which he passed 1,000 Championship runs in a season for the first time in his career.