Stuart Broad fires Nottinghamshire to long-awaited first victory since 2018

Stuart Broad inspired Nottinghamshire to a first victory in red-ball cricket for nearly three years as they thrashed Derbyshire in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.

The England fast bowler took 4 for 37 in two spells while South Africa paceman Dane Paterson and Luke Fletcher shared five wickets to seal a 310-run victory on day three at Derby's Incora County Ground. It was Nottinghamshire's first win in first-class cricket since they beat Essex at Chelmsford on June 23rd, 2018 and would have been even more emphatic but for Ben Aitchison's maiden first-class 50.

Paterson finished with 3 for 30 and Fletcher 2 for 32 as Derbyshire were dismissed for 159 with Aitchison hitting Liam Patterson-White for three sixes before he was last out.

"It's a bit different than what it's been like for the last three years, 1043 days I read last night, so absolutely elated," Notts captain Steve Mullaney said. "A lot of hard work has gone into having this feeling but at the same time we know it's only the start on our journey to getting better as a team but we are obviously made-up to get the first win of this season.

"I felt we were close but with that hoodoo hanging over us you never believe it until that last wicket is taken. It was a great start today with Stuart getting two in his first over and he's ran in for both games he's played like it's been a Test match so credit to him."

Derbyshire's chances of even getting close to a 470 run target were slim before the start but after the first over of the morning, they were as distant as the stars. Running in from the Racecourse End, Broad found lift and movement to have Luis Reece caught low down at first slip for 15 and his next ball, full and swinging, caught Leus du Plooy on the crease.

If it was a lack of foot movement that betrayed du Plooy, Wayne Madsen had taken a couple of paces down the pitch when he edged Paterson into the gloves of Tom Moores.

Paterson struck another big blow in the same over when he moved one back off the seam to beat Matt Critchley's defensive push and knock out off stump. Derbyshire's slide towards a crushing defeat gathered pace as Harvey Hosein flashed firm-footed at Paterson and was caught behind without scoring, the fifth wicket to fall in the first hour.

Broad's withdrawal from the attack brought no respite with Fletcher taking his side closer to the finishing line with two wickets in successive overs. Wood's resistance was ended when he lost his middle stump aiming a drive and Brooke Guest was well caught by Moores diving low to his right.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-edged a pull at Broad, Sam Conners fell to an astonishing one-handed catch by Paterson sprinting from long leg and Aitchison went down swinging to spark wild Nottinghamshire celebrations.