County Championship 2022 Division II | All-round Derbyshire thump Leicestershire by an innings & 68 runs

Derbyshire have claimed their maiden win of the 2022 County Championship courtesy of a thumping victory by an innings and 68 runs against Leicestershire at Grace Road, Leicester.

The game proved to be a one-sided affair, with Derbyshire outplaying Leicestershire in all facets of the game, especially in the batting departments.

Batting first, Leicestershire could only post 213 in 77.2 overs as a disciplined bowling display from Derbyshire led by Samuel Conners meant that the host team kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Conners, the right-arm fast bowler, was the wrecker-in-cheif, claiming 4/62 in 22 overs, and he was duly supported by the likes of Nick Potts (2/32) and the recently retired Sri Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal.

Lakmal claimed 2 wickets during his 21-over spell and conceded 52 runs. 

As for Leicestershire, opener, Samuel Evans was the leading run-getter. He scored a patient 147-ball 63. At one stage, it looked as if Leicestershire would fold well under 200, but handy contributions from Mulder (39), Barnes (34*) and Will Davis (12) ensured that they finished with 213.

It didn't really matter in the end, though, as Derbyshire's Pakistan left-handed opener Shan Masood surpassed their tally all by himself, courtesy of another double-ton.

Masood, who scored a double-hundred against Sussex last week, peeled off a rapid 267-ball 219 to become the first Pakistani to score consecutive 200s in county cricket.

Masood's double-ton, half-centuries from Madsen and Leus Du Plooy and a fine 191-ball 101 from MH McKiernan ensured that even though Derbyshire lost their last 6 wickets for 27 runs thanks to a brilliant spell from Ed Barnes (5/105). However, it didn't matter much as they had enough runs in the bank to bowl the opposition out again.

Hasan Azad (32), Samuel Evans (33), Louis Kimber (54*) and Callum Parkinson (49) led the resistance for Leicestershire in the 2nd innings, but it proved to be less than adequate as they folded for 250 in 117.1 overs.

Lakmal and Anuj Dal chipped in with a couple of wickets each, while Alex Thomson claimed three.

Brief Scores:

Leicestershire - 213 all-out in 77.2 overs (1st innings)

Samuel Evans 63, Mulder 39; 

Samuel Conners 4/62, Nick Potts 2/32 

Derbyshire - 531 all-out in 141.5 overs (1st innings)

Shan Masood 219, MH McKiernan 101; 

Ed Barnes 5/101) 

Leicestershire - 250 all-out in 117.1 overs 

Louis Kimber 54, Callum Parkinson 49; 

Alex Thompson 3/50, Anuj Dal 2/16

Derbyshire win by an innings & 68 runs.