Derby halted by Jones onslaught

7:21pm Thursday 7th August 2008

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SIMON Jones is hoping that Worcestershire can wrap up the Derbyshire first innings early tomorrow as the LVCC Division Two table-toppers aim to stretch their lead at the summit.

The Welshman took three wickets in 10 balls as he made the most of the second new ball as the New Road side came back well in the final session on day two.

Derbyshire batted sensibly after a tricky morning where Ben Smith and Daryl Mitchell put down Paul Borrington in his 40s, before the Loughborough student — who made an unbeaten 102 in the university match at Kidderminster against the County — went on to score 85 before edging Jones to Steven Davies as the visitors went from 252-3 to 261-6.

“No-one means to drop catches,” Jones said. “It is very rare for them to put them down so you can forgive them — they are usually 100 per centers.”

With Derbyshire, who closed on 278-6, looking on course to take the honours on day two, Jones, like he has done for most of this campaign, got his three wickets in a cluster.

The 29-year-old had to wait four overs before he got his hands on that second new ball, but it was a beneficial period.

“I was watching the other lads with the new ball and it didn’t look like it was doing a lot,” he said.

“So I was thinking that it could have been hard work, but then I got it in the right areas and got three snicks.

“There was a little bit of seam movement — which it had done all day — but we had to err with a little bit of caution because when we were too full they were hitting on the back of a length.”

Having resumed the day on 27-0, Matt Mason made the breakthrough as Chris Rogers pulled the Australian-born seamer to Gareth Andrew and was out for 20.

Andrew then got his reward for a tidy morning’s work when Daniel Birch found the edge to give Davies an easy catch behind the stumps.

Derbyshire got to lunch at 111-2, but then, after seeing two of his team-mates drop relatively simple chances, skipper Vikram Solanki showed them how it was done.

Wavell Hinds miss-timed a pull from Mason and the captain had to run from square leg to take the catch at deep mid-wicket, still sliding on his knees.

The visitors recovered well from being 123-3, with a superb 129-run stand between Borrington and Greg Smith, but when the new ball was taken Jones did the rest.

The County have got one eye on the weather and with showers predicted, the question of enforcing the follow-on if they get the chance is undecided.