Di Venuto scores first Championship hundred in tame draw

Michael Di Venuto's first Championship century for Derbyshire failed to revive a rain-haunted fixture with Worcestershire.

Rival captains Graeme Hick and Tim Munton agreed to play when the umpires might have abandoned without a ball being bowled, but a one-innings contest drifted into stalemate.

Worcestershire were unable to bowl out the visitors and the alternative of a run-chase was passed up when Derbyshire batted on until after tea before declaring at 222 for eight.

Worcestershire were left with 25 overs to consider a near-impossible target of 223 and opted for the draw as openers Philip Weston and Anurag Singh put on an undefeated 52 before an early close at 5.30pm.

So a small crowd could not reflect on Di Venuto's performance. The 27-year-old Australian made 108 - including a second 50 from only 56 balls - but Derbyshire were in no mood to risk a similar response from Hick.

Di Venuto's command - he hit Stuart Lampitt for three fours in passing 50 and 100 - was a class above anything else on a pitch which offered some assistance to the Worcestershire seamers.

The Australian batted with considerable force, mostly off the back foot, in cutting, driving and pulling 19 fours while dominating stands of 94 with Luke Sutton and 59 with Rob Bailey.

But Derbyshire lost two early wickets in three balls from Alamgir Sheriyar and faltered in the afternoon when Steve Rhodes held a thin edge from Sutton (42) and dived a long way to take a leg-side deflection by Di Venuto. David Leatherdale then prospered with three for 23.