5/60 by debutant spinner Hamidullah Qadri saw Glamorgan dismissed for 172 as Derbyshire won by 39 runs on the final day of their day-night contest in the Specsavers County Championship at The SSE SWALEC.
6.40pm Update
With Glamorgan on 64/4 at the first interval, 148 runs were still required as Hamidullah Qadri and Jeevan Mendis resumed the bowling, with Aneurin Donald cover-driving Qadri as the youngster conceded his first boundary in his seventeenth over. Next over, he swept Mendis for four whilst Nick Selman continued his watchful accumulation, revere-sweeping Qadri for three.
Another punched drive into the covers by Donald against Mendis brought up the 50-stand and prompted a bowling change as Wayne Madsen’s off-spin replaced Qadri. It did the trick as Donald was snared at short-leg with Glamorgan on 92/5 and still needing 120 as Chris Cooke joined the obdurate Selman. But their pairing proved to be a short one as seven balls later Madsen struck again as he had Selman stumped down the legside by Daryn Smit as he advanced down the wicket.
Andrew Salter joined Cooke who defiantly cover-drove Madsen for four before the new batsman swept Mendis for four as the target dropped below 100. But Qadri returned at the Cathedral Road End and removed Salter l.b.w. as Graham Wagg made his way to the middle. Cooke defiantly cover drove both Qadri and Mendis, but with the total on 135 Wagg attempted to pull Qadri and appeared to be caught by the wicket-keeper off the back of his bat.
135/8 saw Marchant de Lange make his way to the middle before on-driving both bowlers and then lofting Qadri for a huge six over long-on. He then late-cut Qadri for four but later in the over De Lange was run out by Godleman attempting a quick single to mid-on as Glamorgan slipped further to 160/9.
After a couple of quick singles with Michael Hogan, Cooke lofted Mendis straight for four but in Qadri’s next over, the teenager ended the game as Hogan chipped a ball to Mendis who, on his final day this year as a Derbyshire player, held the catch as Glamorgan ended on 172 to give Qadri final figures of 5/60.
4pm Update
Leaving aside the debate over the merits of pink balls and floodlit County Championship matches, this game has (quite literally) turned into an enthralling contest with the wicket – used for Sunday’s International T20 contest between England and South Africa – now in its fifth day of use and showing signs of assistance to the spin bowlers
Yesterday, Andrew Salter obtained help from the surface and footholds, whilst in the closing overs last night, Hamidullah Qadri and Jeevan Mendis also gained assistance, with the latter dismissing Jacques Rudolph with the final ball of the day. The net result was that Glamorgan entered the final day still needing 212 to win and with nine wickets in hand, whilst Derbyshire press for their first Championship win of the summer and the first in the four-day format since July 2015.
Nick Selman duly joined Timm van der Gugten and scored the first run of the innings in the eighth over as he glanced Hamidullah Qadri for one. Van der Gugten then cover drove and off-drove Tony Palladino but with the total on 9 he attempted an expansive blow against Qadri and holed out to Reece at deep mid-wicket.
Owen Morgan became Selman’s new partner shortly before the floodlights came on with Reece entering the attack in place of Palladino. Selman responded by off-driving the all-rounder before clipping Mendis to the ropes at mid-wicket when the Sri Lankan replaced Qadri. It was though a brief spell at the Cathedral Road End as he soon switched to the River End and had Morgan caught low down at slip by Gary Wilson.
31/3 saw the arrival of Colin Ingram who began by sweeping Mendis for four whilst Qadri wheeled away at the Cathedral Road End with a gaggle of five fielders close to the wicket. His parsimony was rewarded with the prized wicket of Ingram who chipped a ball to Godleman at mid-on. 42/4 might have become 42/5 as next ball, Aneurin Donald was dropped at short-leg. the young tyro survived and saw Glamorgan through to the interval with Selman pulling the last ball of the session from Mendis for four to mid-wicket.