By Edward Hall
April 21 2002

Steve Stubbings and Andrew Gait put Derbyshire in control on the second day of their Championship game, leaving them with a lead of 395 over Glamorgan with two days still to go. Glamorgan’s first innings was wrapped up by Dominic Cork who, after Kasprowicz and Cosker had added 12 more runs, picked up the last two wickets in successive balls.

Glamorgan, conceding a first-innings lead of 42, needed quick wickets, but did not get them in the morning session. Kasprowicz was again disappointing, over pitching too often to the left-handers Stubbings and Di Venuto. Thomas was also expensive in his first spell, and it was only the introduction of Simon Jones and Dean Cosker that slowed the run rate.

Di Venuto, trying to push the scoring rate, was the only victim before lunch when he mistimed a straight drive off Cosker and was brilliantly caught by Maynard. Stubbings, more watchful when Di Venuto was at the other end, started to find the rope with greater frequency during the afternoon, as he became the dominant partner of the second wicket stand with Andrew Gait. The bowlers struggled to contain this pair in the middle session. Stubbings punished anything short from the spinners as he raced to his second 50 of his century at more than a run a ball.

Glamorgan were lucky to break this 192 run partnership when Maynard’s throw beat Gait to run him out for 80. Thomas, returning for only his second spell, had Stubbings caught well by Croft low to his left at slip for 128, but no more quick wickets followed as Hewson and Sutton were content to consolidate Derbyshire’s position.

Jones got a deserved wicket when he had Sutton caught at third man from a loose cut, but Hemp denied Kasprowicz his first Glamorgan wicket when he dropped Dominic Cork third ball in the gully.

Derbyshire will be looking to bat on for a bit longer on Sunday, but will be aware of the weather forecast.