Eckersley makes twin centuries in draw

Derbyshire 362 (Madsen 76, Raine 5-66) and 104 for 4 drew with Leicestershire 380 (Eckersley 117, Parkinson 4-90) and 294 for 9 dec (Eckersley 104) lead by 127 runs
Scorecard

The pitch, easy-paced throughout, had the final word as this Division Two match ended in a draw, though not before Ned Eckersley completed his second hundred of the match - the second time in his career the Leicestershire batsman has scored a century in both innings of a Championship fixture.

Leicestershire, who resumed on an apparently precarious 109 for 5, a lead of just 127, lost just one wicket during the morning session while increasing their lead to over 200.

Things might have been different had Chesney Hughes, at first slip, been able to hold a chance given by Niall O'Brien in the opening over, the left-hander edging a Tony Palladino delivery to first slip. Hughes juggled the ball three times but was unable to hang on.

O'Brien and Eckersley then batted without alarm, albeit scoring at just two runs an over, in extending their partnership past 50. O'Brien had not hit a boundary in 116 balls when shortly before lunch he went back to a cut a delivery from left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson and edged a catch behind.

Clint McKay could not resist trying to loft Parkinson's left-arm spin into the stands, missed and was bowled, but Ben Raine gave Eckersley solid support in adding 53 for the eighth wicket before losing his middle stump to Neil Broom's occasional offspin.

Eckersley, who hit 117 in the first innings, then went to his century off 170 balls, becoming the first Leicestershire batsman to achieve the feat since he himself did so against Worcestershire in 2013.

The declaration came very late, leaving Derbyshire a target of 313 off 38 over, and when Raine bowled Billy Godleman without scoring, and Chesney Hughes got a leading edge off McKay and was caught at mid-on for 5, there were some wondering whether Leicestershire had been too pessimistic about the docility of the pitch.

The more so when Ben Slater went leg before to a Charlie Shreck delivery that kept low and Broom was caught in the gully having edged a Shreck delivery onto his pad, leaving the visitors of 43 for 4.

Throughout the game, however, once the new ball effect wore off batsmen found it relatively easy to survive, and Wayne Madsen and Shiv Thakor - not without the occasional alarm - saw their side through to the draw. Parkinson, on his first class debut, bowled a remarkable 70.4 overs in the match, and finished with six wickets.