RESULT
281 & 351/1d
(T:326) 307 & 330/7

Northants won by 3 wickets

Report

Kleinveldt six nails Northants chase with a ball to spare

Northants sealed a run chase with six off the penultimate ball by Rory Kleinveldt after 90s from Rob Newton and Richard Levi set up victory on a thrilling day at Derby

Northamptonshire 307 (Holden 76, Duckett 53, Newton 50, Davis 4-60) and 330 for 7 (Levi 99, Newton 98, Mendis 3-84) beat Derbyshire 281 (Wilson 72, Buck 5-68) and 351 for 1 dec (Reece 168, Godleman 156*)
Scorecard
Northamptonshire celebrated a thrilling three wicket victory with one ball to spare in the Division Two County Championship match against Derbyshire who had the consolation of setting a new club record.
Rory Kleinveldt drove Daryn Smit for six as Northants chased down 326 in 65 overs thanks to Richard Levi's 99 and 98 from Robert Newton with Jeevan Mendis taking three wickets for Derbyshire.
Luis Reece with 168 and an unbeaten 156 from Billy Godleman had set a record Derbyshire opening stand of 333 but it was Northants who came out on top with a second four day win of the season.
Godleman said: "We haven't won a lot of games over the last 18 months and I believe to learn to win you sometimes have to put yourself into positions where you may lose.
"It didn't happen this game but firstly I believe we can win games without trying to set them up and I also believe we have the character and the quality to do so.
"It wasn't on my mind when I drove to the ground but Alex Wakely hunted me down before the warm-ups. We discussed it as a group, I think it's important the senior guys all have a voice in the decision and everyone thought 325 from 65 was fair to both parties."
The morning was full of statistical highlights although the quality of cricket was questionable with the two sides contriving a declaration to set up the afternoon run chase.
Both Reece and Godleman plundered what was at best occasional bowling as Northants donated runs, with even wicketkeeper Adam Rossington turning his arm over.
Reece became only the seventh Derbyshire batsman to score a century on debut in the county championship and sailed past his previous career-best 114 not out before he became Newton's maiden first-class victim.
By then, he and Godleman had eclipsed Derbyshire's previous highest opening stand of 322 set by Harry Storer and Joseph Bowden against Essex at Derby in 1929 and their partnership was the third highest in the club's history.
But the milestone Derbyshire wanted to celebrate was a championship victory and Davis raised their hopes by striking twice in the 11th over after Newton and Ben Duckett had put on 56.
Duckett bottom edged a pull and Alex Wakely was trapped on the back foot but Newton was playing shrewdly, reaching 50 from 51 balls, and with Rob Keogh put the innings back on track before two brilliant catches shifted the balance again.
Keogh's low edge off Tony Palladino was superbly held by Gary Wilson plunging to his right and then Smit took a stunning catch at second slip to remove Adam Rossington when the ball looked to have passed him.
At tea, Derbyshire looked favourites but Levi's brutal assault changed that as he dominated a stand of 90 from 87 balls, pulling Mendis for six before driving Tom Milnes for another to reach 50 from 39 balls.
He pulled Reece for a third six but Newton fell trying to reverse sweep Mendis and the game took another twist when Levi fell one short of a century aiming to swing the leg-spinner away.
Northants went into the last 10 overs needing 47 and were 27 short of victory when Holden drove Mendis to mid on but although the equation came down to a run a ball, Kleinveldt settled it with one blow over deep extra cover.

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Northants Innings
<1 / 3>

Specsavers County Championship Division Two

TEAMMWLDPT
WORCS14932238
NOTTS14725222
NHNTS14932217
SUSS14752196
KENT14427175
GLOUC14347147
GLAM14374133
DERBS14373127
DURH1436598
LEICS1409575
ESSEX-----
LANCS-----
SURR-----