Another Masood ton as Derbyshire battle hard to take control
SHAN Masood scored his third century of what is already a remarkable season to stay on course for 1000 runs before the end of May as Derbyshire dominated the second day of the LV Insurance County Championship match against Worcestershire at Derby.
The Pakistan left-hander made 113 from 132 balls to take his tally to 826 with a possible three more innings before the end of the month.
Brooke Guest scored 77 as Derbyshire plundering 172 runs in 36 overs between lunch and tea before Worcestershire hit back in the evening session to leave the home side on 274-4, trailing by 94, the match therefore poised again.
Derbyshire had hit back well in the morning when Worcestershire resumed, Sam Conners completing a five-wicket haul as the visitors lost their last five wickets for 42.
“The onus was on us, the pitch looked really good, the sun was out and when you get in you have to make sure you have a long partnership, like me and Guestie (Brooke Guest) which sets us up nicely,” said Masood.
“Four-day cricket is never easy. Sides are good enough to change their plans and they started bowling to tighter fields, wicket-towicket and got three wickets in a row.
“But then Leus (du Plooy) and Reecey (Luis Reece) took us to the end of play which was crucial and now we can kick on and, hopefully, get a decent first innings total on the board.”
Ed Barnard and Ben Cox represented Worcestershire’s best chance of passing 400 but they both fell in the same over to Conners, Barnard driving loosely to du Plooy at cover and Cox lbw.
Conners made it three in seven balls when he found lift and away movement to find Josh Baker’s edge before nightwatchman Adam Finch, after 22 overs of determined resistance, pulled Ryan Sidebottom to deep backward square.
Sidebottom immediately left the field with a calf injury but Anuj Dal pulled off another stunning catch at point to end the innings and give Conners his fifth wicket.
Derbyshire scored 30 in seven overs before lunch and the afternoon became one to remember for
Masood.
After Billy Godelman got an inside edge on to his leg stump, Masood and Guest cruised along at almost a run-a-ball against indisciplined bowling and increasingly ragged fielding.
Masood’s timing and placement was exemplary and he moved to his third century in seven innings from 115 balls but Worcestershire regrouped after tea with Gibbon claiming the prized wicket of Masood during an impressive 11 overs spell from the City End.
The 21-year-old beat Masood’s attempted drive in the first over after the interval, the first of three wickets to fall for only 27 runs in 15 overs.
Guest lost his concentration and edged a big drive at a wide ball from Barnard and Wayne Madsen was lbw trying to work Baker’s left-arm spin to leg.