Not for nothing do Worcestershire lead the second division table. They were the last of the 18 counties to surrender an unbeaten championship record when they lost their last game to Gloucestershire. But, facing a second loss here, they summoned the character to fight back as Joe Leach passed 70 for the second time in five innings.
An hour before Monday’s close, on 191 for six, they trailed by 165 when Leach, batting at No7, was joined by Shaaiq Choudhry, taking a ringing blow on the helmet before the close. The pair were eventually parted after adding 117 when Leach, offering no shot, was bowled by Wes Durston. Two balls later, Choudhry fell for 44 but the innings did not close, 29 to the good, until an hour after lunch.
On a bone-dry pitch that has decidedly not broken up to threaten the variable bounce that players have predicted, Derbyshire responded with their best opening stand of the campaign. Billy Godleman and Ben Slater, both out in the final 30 minutes, posted fiftes after putting on 125.
Had the Worcestershire captain, Daryl Mitchell, held two slip chances in the last three overs, matters might have been much tighter overnight. But Chesney Hughes, on one, escaped off Mitchell McClenaghan when a comfortable offering was squandered and Wayne Madsen, when seven, slashed at Choudhry’s left-arm spin with minutes remaining and Mitchell failed to hold a stinging edge.
McClenaghan had earlier brought a good diving catch from Ben Cox when the wicket-keeper, leaping to his left, punished Godleman’s edged push. Out for 52, he was joined 18 balls later, by Slater who, six runs short of a career-best, was bowled by Choudhry for 65 when driving.
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Spin had also been Derbyshire’s main hope earlier, for all that Footitt, very expensive in the morning, returned six for 115. Durston, with his off breaks, followed his success against Leach with the wicket, after lunch, of McClenaghan after the Kiwi and Jack Shantry had added salt to home wounds by adding 51 for the ninth wicket. Shantry, last out swiping at Footitt, made 37.