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Billy Godleman breaks century drought to close the door on Leicestershire

Billy Godleman made his highest first-class score Getty Images

Derbyshire 340 (Guest 116, Dal 106) and 203 for 3 (Godleman 100*) drew with Leicestershire 528

Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman ended his red-ball drought to guide his team to safety on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Leicestershire at Derby.

The opener scored his first century in the Championship this season to shut the door on Leicestershire who had forced the home side to follow on 188 runs behind after bowling them out for 340.

Chris Wright took three wickets to reduce Derbyshire to 64 for 3 but Godleman's unbeaten 100 and 59 not out from Matt Critchley took them to 203 for 3.

Derbyshire's last wicket pair of Ben Aitchison and Ed Moulton had dug in to take 13 overs out of the day after Ben Mike had struck in the second over of the morning.

Sam Conners edged to second slip but Leicestershire's bowlers were forced to expend energy to get the final wicket.

Ed Barnes finally broke through when he trapped Aitchison in front and when Derbyshire followed-on 188 runs behind, Wright struck immediately.

Tom Wood was drawn into cutting at a ball he should have left and edged to Harry Swindells without a run on the board.

Leus du Plooy went the same way in the seventh over but this time it was late movement from Wright that accounted for the South African.

Wright was by far the most menacing of the Leicestershire bowlers and the 36-year-old struck again in the eighth over after lunch.

He found just enough seam movement to take the edge of Wayne Madsen's bat and give Hassan Azad a comfortable catch at second slip.

At 64 for 3, Derbyshire were 125 runs behind but the pitch was still a good one and Godleman and Critchley steered their side to safety.

There was little turn for Callum Parkinson or George Rhodes who was swept for consecutive fours by Godleman to reach 50 from 98 balls.

Critchley dispatched Rhodes over long on for six and by tea, the game was slipping away from Leicestershire who had been in the field for just over five sessions in sweltering heat.

Their last chance vanished when Sam Evans put down a sharp catch off Parkinson at short leg when Godleman was on 80 and Derbyshire were still in arrears.

By then, Critchley had moved to 50 from 101 balls and when Godleman completed his hundred off 183 balls, the teams shook hands on a draw.

Derbyshire 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0BA GodlemanTA Wood
2nd18BA GodlemanJL du Plooy
3rd46WL MadsenBA Godleman
4th139BA GodlemanMJJ Critchley

County Championship

Division 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS431068
LANCS421157
WARKS421156
HANTS421153
YORKS412140
SOM404014
Division 2
TeamMWLDPT
ESSEX430177
GLOUC431064
DURH311140
NHNTS412138
SUR301227
GLAM403123
Division 3
TeamMWLDPT
KENT440083
MIDDX431067
WORCS422049
LEICS412143
DERBS412142
SUSS404018
Group 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS10424151
WARKS10415145
DURH10325132
ESSEX10325129
WORCS10136109
DERBS1005572
Group 2
TeamMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HANTS10424145
GLOUC10532131
SUR10226123
LEICS10244111
MIDDX1027184
Group 3
TeamMWLDPT
LANCS10415150
YORKS10514149
GLAM10226127
NHNTS10334123
KENT1003797
SUSS1015494