Derbyshire 26 short of first win for two years - then comes Nottingham rain

Derbyshire's long wait for a win in the Championship continues after they were denied victory over Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire in the most frustrating circumstances.

Chasing 216 from 49 overs, they were within touching distance with 36 needed, six wickets in hand and still 14 overs left when darkening skies reached the point at which the light from the floodlights had taken over from the natural light, obliging the umpires to take the players off the field.

They brought they back after a little under 20 minutes but the batsmen had faced only seven more deliveries - one of them a no-ball - when the forecast rain arrived and Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman was forced to accept a draw. He had lost one more batsman but the requirement had come down to 26 from eight overs, eminently within their grasp.

It was an outcome he would have been happy with at the start of play on Friday but not at that moment, not as close as this to a first Championship victory since July 2015 - and a first win in red-ball cricket for Godleman as Derbyshire captain.

Rain had washed out the whole morning session but the run chase was set up with no contrivances, Derbyshire bowling out their hosts for 349 after play began at 1.45pm.

Chris Read's unbeaten 74 gave Nottinghamshire's bowlers something to defend and created an element of scoreboard pressure in taking the target beyond 200 but in the end the only real source of anxiety for Derbyshire was the weather.

The forecast had suggested that the closer the clock moved towards six, the greater the likelihood of further rain and by 5.30 with 44 still to get the clouds were gathering ominously as the umpires began to twitch about the light.

A couple of minutes later, the deepening grey of the sky forced them to act.

Derbyshire's disappointment was hardly made easier for knowing they had been on top almost throughout the four days, although at the same time it will be a source of encouragement for the way ahead.

Nottinghamshire were not long losing their last four wickets from 313-6.

Tom Taylor took three of them in the space of a dozen deliveries as Brett Hutton played round one to be bowled, Luke Wood hooked straight to long leg and Luke Fletcher was leg before to a straight one. Given that only the rabbit Harry Gurney remained, the 22-year-old right-arm seamer must have sensed a five-for was there for the taking but Jeevan Mendis denied him the opportunity as Gurney had a swing but hit the ball straight to point.

Nonetheless, largely thanks to Read's canniness in keeping Gurney away from the ball as much as possible, the Nottinghamshire lead swelled beyond 200, enough to put a little more psychological pressure on Derbyshire.

Read's 74 included 28 of the 36 runs added to the overnight score. He finished with a flourish, damaging Taylor's figures a little by going four-four-six.

Wayne Madsen was in charge two years ago when Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Wantage Road and it was he who put his side in with a chance of winning for the first time on this ground since 2002.

They had lost Luis Reece and then Godleman in the first 10 overs of the 49, Reece failing to clear mid-on and Godleman caught behind after a nice piece of bowling from Luke Wood, who is turning into a blond version of Jack Brooks in the way he wheels away across the square to celebrate a wicket.

Shiv Thakor gloved one through to Read but Madsen scored 61 from 57 balls to take his side so close to the winning line.

He will probably reflect that he rather gave his wicket away in the end, aiming a big swing at Samit Patel when such rashness was unnecessary and slicing the ball high in the air to deep point, where Brett Hutton dived forward at full length to take the catch.

But Alex Hughes and Gary Wilson picked up the pieces calmly enough. Hughes was leg before to a Fletcher full toss but there was enough batting left for the job to have been completed, had weather permitted. Instead, Derbyshire's winless run extends to 27 matches.