Lehmann leads batting spectacular

Although the rain-ruined match ended in an inevitable draw, the hardy fans were treated to a feast of batting, first from Lehmann who thrashed 133 runs of the highest quality, and then his fellow Australian Michael Di Venuto and Huddersfield-born Steve Stub-bings as Derbyshire signed off with a run spree of their own.

Di Venuto and Stubbings, left-handers like Lehmann, were also heading for their centuries until bad weather intervened when both were in their 80s, Derbyshire finishing on 209-1.

Each side took ten points from the match which fairly reflected that honours throughout the game had been even.

The sheer brilliance of Lehmann allowed Yorkshire to advance in the morning from 171 for six to 349 all out which gave them a first innings lead of 46 and was just one run short of a fourth batting bonus point.

Having started his innings carefully in order to get York-shire out of a mess, Lehmann blossomed magnificently and played some breathtaking shots to bring him 14 boundaries off the 234 balls he received.

But James Middlebrook was by no means overshadowed while forging out a career-best 45 during an eighth wicket stand of 114 with Lehmann which beat by one run the previous best by Yorkshire against Derbyshire set by Geoff Cope and Graham Stevenson at Chesterfield in 1976.

Middlebrook was out lbw sweeping at Rob Bailey and Matthew Hoggard was bowled taking a swing at Matthew Cassar who went on to register career-best figures of six for 76.

Youngster Gary Ramsden managed to survive while Lehmann continued his charge until he turned Cassar round the corner where Dominic Cork had positioned himself at leg gully for just such a shot.

Lehmann's 133 followed scores of 95 and 85 in his two previous Championship innings this season and it was his eighth century for Yorkshire, seven of which have been on away grounds.

With the game effectively dead, Yorkshire's bowling lacked a cutting edge and Stubbings and Mathew Dowman opened up with 56 together before Dowman was caught at cover off Middlebrook.

Then Di Venuto showed he was not the only Aussie worth watching by needing only 76 balls for his unbeaten 81 which contained ten fours and a five.

Stubbings advanced his maiden Championship half-century to 84 off 131 balls with ten boundaries, his unbroken second wicket stand with Di Venuto being worth 153 in just 26 overs.

SCOREBOARD

PPP healthcare County Championship

Division One

(Day 4 of 4)

Derbyshire v Yorkshire

at Derby

Derbyshire First Innings

Stubbings c Byas b Hutchison 49

Dowman c Wood b Hutchison 16

Di Venuto b Hamilton 30

Cassar c & b Hutchison 47

Bailey c Blakey b Ramsden 29

Krikken b Hoggard 9

Cork c Craven b Lehmann 43

Lacey b Lehmann 25

Smith b Hamilton 19

Munton retired hurt 2

Dean not out 6

Extras 28

Total all out (100.1 overs) 303

Fall: 1-28 2-85 3-137 4-166 5-183 6-198 7-268 8-283 9-303

Bowling: Hoggard 23-4-72-1, Hutchison 18-1-74-3, Ramsden 8-1-32-1, Hamilton 8.1-5-42-2, Middlebrook 23-4-61-0

Yorkshire First Innings

Byas c Krikken b Cassar 49

Craven c Krikken b Lacey 58

Blakey c Sub b Cassar 0

Lehmann c Cork b Cassar 133

Harden c Krikken b Cassar 0

Wood c Krikken b Cork 9

Hutchison lbw b Cork 0

Hamilton c Sub b Cassar 15

Middlebrook lbw b Bailey 45

Hoggard b Cassar 11

Ramsden not out 0

Extras b3 lb14 w4 nb8 29

Total (128.1 overs) 349

Fall: 1-112 2-112 3-112 4-116 5-154 6-160 7-180 8-294 9-328

Bowling: Cork 23-4-52-2 Dean 15-4-42-0 Cassar 29.1-8-76-6 Smith 15-3-45-0 Lacey 43-12-110-1 Bailey 3-1-7-1

Derbyshire Second Innings

Stubbings not out 84

Dowman c Wood b Middlebrook 20

Di Venuto not out 81

Extras b8 lb4 nb12 24

Total 1 wkt (40 overs) 209

Fall: 1-56

Did Not Bat: R J Bailey, M E Cassar, D G Cork, K M Krikken, S J Lacey, T M Smith, T A Munton, K J Dean.

Bowling: Hoggard 6-0-35-0 Hutchison 7-0-37-0 Middlebrook 12-3-35-1 Hamilton 5-1-24-0 Ramsden 4-0-36-0 Lehmann 6-0-30-0

Derbyshire (10pts) drew with Yorkshire (10pts)