Gareth Roderick thwarts Derbyshire push for first win of marketing campaign

Worcestershire 237 (Libby 78, Dal 5-45) and 243 for six (Roderick 123, Pollock 56) drew with Derbyshire 578 for five dec (du Plooy 238*, Madsen 143, Dal 141*)

Roderick battled away for five-and-a-quarter hours to make 123 in solely his second match since being promoted to open the innings alongside Jake Libby.

Pollock performed an out of character knock based mostly on decided defence reasonably than his free-flowing stroke play to make 56 off 189 balls spanning practically 4 hours.

Their efforts had been largely chargeable for defying the Derbyshire assault and solely 4 wickets fell in your entire day.

Roderick has batted predominantly within the center order since establishing himself within the keeper-batter position final summer season in distinction to his eight seasons with Gloucestershire within the higher echelons of the order.

But he was moved as much as quantity three for the house recreation in opposition to Leicestershire and a second innings knock of 59 spanning 5 hours helped seal victory on a tough pitch.

He then opened within the final Championship match in opposition to Sussex at Hove and had featured in three half-century partnerships with Libby earlier than this marathon knock.

Roderick had spoken of his want to show promising begins into main contributions and this was a high quality effort mixing aggression with cussed defence.

Pollock has dropped down into the middle-order in Championship and T20 cricket after a scarcity of runs.

But right here he received his head down from ball one in help of Roderick and blunted the Derbyshire assault.

It took him 120 balls earlier than he sliced Leus du Plooy down to 3rd man for his first boundary however consuming up time and deliveries was the prime consideration.

Derbyshire’s winless run was prolonged to 10 video games however they will take nice coronary heart from a efficiency achieved with out their entrance line assault of Saranga Lakmal, Sam Conners and Zak Chappell whereas Ben Aitchison was unable to bowl within the second innings due to harm.

Worcestershire reached 105 for 1 on the opening day however had been then second greatest for the rest of the sport till the defiance by Roderick and Pollock on the ultimate day.

Derbyshire confirmed extra self-discipline with the ball and better utility with the bat within the first innings.

Three of their batters, du Plooy, Wayne Madsen and Anuj Dal, all reached three figures they usually achieved their highest ever rating in opposition to Worcestershire.

The house aspect will mirror on poor bowling efficiency, apart from evergreen Joe Leach, and slipshod fielding and Madsen, du Plooy and Dal had been all survived dropped catches.

Worcestershire resumed on 70 for two in opposition to a Derbyshire assault which was a bowler gentle after Ben Aitchison had suffered hip and again issues earlier within the recreation.

Roderick was stuffed with attacking intent and clipped the primary supply of the day from Conor McKerr by way of mid wicket for 4.

The keeper-batter accomplished a 69-ball half-century with the same shot at Anuj Dal’s expense for his eighth boundary.

Debutant Rehaan Edavalath scrapped away for 62 balls however after making 15 he drove onerous at Nick Potts and nicked to Wayne Madsen who held onto a low probability at first slip.

Roderick continued to attain freely however Adam Hose managed solely a single earlier than he tried to drive spinner Alex Thomson and was bowled by way of the gate.

Pollock survived a assured enchantment when on two for a legside catch by keeper Brooke Guest off Luis Reece.

Roderick swept Thomson for 4 to maneuver into the 90s after which his sixteenth boundary – a steer to 3rd man off Reece – took him to a superb hundred from 155 balls.

Pollock performed an innings out of character along with his free-flowing model and scored solely 5 runs from the primary 100 balls he confronted.

But it was a useful effort within the context of Worcestershire making an attempt to thwart Derbyshire’s victory push.

Derbyshire rotated their bowlers and set unorthodox and imaginative fielders in an try to make a decisive breakthrough.

They lastly had one thing to rejoice after the Roderick-Pollock stand of 63 had spanned 38 overs when the latter on 123 pushed ahead to Thomson and was caught at brief leg.

But Matthew Waite (17 not out from 97 balls) additionally proved a cussed line of defence after becoming a member of Pollock within the center.

Pollock steadily accelerated and, after eight overs had been misplaced to rain, drove Dal by way of the covers to for his tenth 4 to succeed in his half century from 181 balls.

But he performed a shot out of retaining with the rest of his innings on 56 when he aimed a leg aspect blow at Reece and was caught by Dal over his shoulder working again to cowl