Durham held despite Wood career-best
A career-best performance by England fast bowler Mark Wood was not enough to give Durham victory as Derbyshire held out for a draw in the Division Two match at Derby.
Wood showed he is ready for next week’s First Test against Pakistan by taking 6 for 46 in 23 overs, but determined batting from Derbyshire’s lower order kept Durham at bay.
After wicketkeeper Daryn Smit batted 80 minutes for 34, Tony Palladino and Ravi Rampaul dug in for nine overs to take Derbyshire to 279 for 9, a lead of 186 when the players shook hands at 5.05pm.
Durham captain Paul Collingwood said: “We had a bit of a sniff, but if you look over the four days I think the one negative was the first session when Derbyshire were a hundred for nought.
“I think we were behind the eight ball as soon as they got a partnership like that first up, and we had some exceptional performances throughout the game to drag us back in to what looked like could be a winning position, but the pitch slowed up quite a lot and got drier and drier.
“We needed something special and Woody provides that with his international class.
“We got the ball reversing, and as soon as it starts reversing, he wants that ball in his hand and he was exceptional.”
Wood was always likely to be the biggest threat to Derbyshire’s chances of batting out for a draw and he made the first breakthrough when Luis Reece chopped on to his stumps in the 12th over of the day.
Ben Slater and Wayne Madsen added 55, but Wood switched to the Racecourse End to remove them both in consecutive overs.
Madsen was unable to avoid a lifting delivery and was caught behind for 32, and Slater was snared at short leg for 42 with Derbyshire only four runs in front.
A good morning for Durham got even better in the last over before lunch when Alex Hughes tried to leave a ball from Cameron Steel and was caught behind to leave Derbyshire only 21 ahead.
Durham were frustrated after lunch as Billy Godleman and Matt Critchley added 63 in 17 overs until Steel had Critchley caught behind for 40 and James Weighell moved one away in the next over to have Godleman taken at first slip.
Hardus Viljoen dispatched Steel over wide long on for six but when Wood was recalled, he edged a drive to second slip and the fast bowler celebrated his fifth wicket after tea when Smit pushed at one and was caught by Stuart Poynter.
Duanne Olivier was caught behind for his fourth duck in five innings but with Wood visibly tiring, Palladino and Rampaul added 37 runs to dash Durham’s hopes.