Madsen and Aitchison rescue Derbyshire with tons at Northampton
Wayne Madsen and Ben Aitchison rescued Derbyshire from a top-order collapse with centuries in a 197-run stand against Northamptonshire at Northampton.
Derbyshire were bowled out for 372 on day one of the Rothesay County Championship match at the County Ground, Northampton. Northamptonshire closed on 15-0, trailing by 357 runs BBC Sport.
The stakes are sharp for the hosts. Durham have already sealed the Division Two title with two rounds left. Northamptonshire and Kent are contesting the final promotion place ECB. Northamptonshire won the toss in this four-day fixture, scheduled for 15-18 September with a 10:30 start.
Then came the early damage. Derbyshire slipped to 51-4. They slid further to 107-6. Liam Guthrie led the new-ball charge with 3-66, a return that took him past 100 career first-class wickets, including 50 for Northamptonshire.
Ben Sanderson backed him up with 3-72. Harry Conway finished with 3-75. For a while, the decision to bowl first looked fully justified.
Then came the fightback. Madsen, the Derbyshire captain, and Aitchison added 197 for the seventh wicket in 41.4 overs. The seventh wicket means six batters were already out, so this was a rescue job from the lower middle order.
It is the second-highest seventh-wicket stand for Derbyshire against Northamptonshire. Madsen made 151, his second century of the season, with 17 boundaries. Aitchison made 106, his second first-class century, with 14 fours and one six.
What makes this stand out is how familiar the pairing looked. Madsen and Aitchison had already put on 208 for the sixth wicket at Lord’s earlier this season. That was the day Aitchison made his maiden century.
For fans new to the long game, this is the beauty of it. A first innings total near 400 can still leave both sides in the contest. Derbyshire now have runs to bowl at. Northamptonshire have a calm start and a full batting card to come.
The visitors will want early wickets on day two. The hosts will want patience.
