Day 2: Barnett is keeping a tight rein
By Neil Hallam at Chesterfield
Second day of four: Gloucs 329-5 v Derbys
KIM BARNETT, still Derbyshire's leading batsman six weeks short of his 38th birthday, proved he is also capable of providing an object lesson to his juniors with the ball as Matt Windows's unbeaten 99 and Tim Hancock's 94 steered Gloucestershire to a commanding 329 for five on a neutered pitch.
With accuracy and consistency at a premium, the bowlers were too often lacking to have much chance of confinement, until Barnett, in Sunday league medium-pace mode, put the squeeze on with a 17-over spell which yielded figures of two for 15.
When these counties last met here, Derbyshire's batsmen were mightily relieved to see Courtney Walsh arrive wearing a neck brace. This time, with the fast bowler fit and Dominic Cork away with England, they opted against the sort of fast and bouncy pitch on which they lost to Leicestershire last weekend and provided instead a pale, clean-shaven surface which turned batsmen into a protected species.
Gloucestershire, who won the toss after a first-day wash-out, lost Gregor Macmillan to a catch at third slip and seemed in danger of underplaying their hand when Tony Wright was held one-handed at first. Hancock found a more durable ally in Mark Alleyne, however, and thereafter it was Gloucestershire's day, the third wicket producing 111 in 31 overs before Barnett's introduction demonstrated the benefit of a full length and steady line.
Hancock, who hit a six and 10 fours in facing 159 balls, was left cursing himself after chipping to mid-on and Alleyne was snared on the back foot four overs later, but Gloucestershire's dominance was reasserted during a fifth-wicket stand of 150 in 50 overs between Windows and Dominic Hewson.
Day 3: Gloucs are held up by Cassar
By Neil Hallam at Chesterfield
Third day of four: Derbys (281-9) trail Gloucs (459-8 dec) by 178 runs
NOTWITHSTANDING the sturdy resistance of Kim Barnett, Karl Krikken and Matt Cassar, Derbyshire may yet fail to frustrate Gloucestershire on a close-shaven pitch which has at times made batting look like a cherry-picking exercise and condemned bowlers to hard labour.
Gloucestershire's ambition in occupying all but 15 minutes of the morning session to take their score from 329 for five to 459 for eight declared, with Matt Windows moving from 99 to 143, can only have been to force Derbyshire to follow on.
Despite losing two wickets in the first over from Courtney Walsh, Derbyshire were successfully retrenched by Barnett's two hours of composed selectivity - and a fifth-wicket stand worth 112 in 26 overs between Krikken and Cassar helped to leave them a tantalising 29 runs shy of the follow-on total with the last pair together.
Michael Slater, whose five championship innings so far have yielded only 76 runs, fell to a misguided lunge at Walsh's second ball and Tim Tweats twitched fatally at the next instead of allowing it to pass harmlessly down the leg side.
Adrian Rollins looked comfortably set in a third- wicket stand worth 105 until he fell to Jon Lewis who claimed the benefits of bowling close to the stumps with figures of five for 41.
Barnett had a six and nine fours to his credit before chopping a cut into his stumps, but Cassar's watchfulness and firm driving edged Derbyshire towards redemption.
Day 4: Derbyshire toil on barren ground
By Neil Hallam at Chesterfield
AS cricket festivals go, and several have gone completely in recent years, that at Chesterfield during the last nine days must be counted among the least festive of all - especially so yesterday as Adrian Rollins steered Derbyshire towards a draw after they had been forced to follow on 164 runs in arrears in the dank gloom of a mostly deserted Queen's Park.
There are few more picturesque settings for cricket, especially since the recent demolition of the conspicuous Sixties office block which once disfigured the town end, but the transportation of fixtures from the urban sprawl of the County Ground at Derby to the tree-girdled environs of the crooked spire is become increasingly hard to justify.
The festival, if such a term can be justified by a few tunes from a jazz band one lunchtime and a few more from a brass band yesterday, was planned to celebrate 100 years of Derbyshire cricket at Queen's Park and was extensively advertised locally.
The response, however, was yesterday described as ``pretty depressing'' by Derbyshire secretary John Smedley, who added: ``It would be very sad not to play on such a lovely ground but the facilities for players and spectators are very limited and in these money-conscious times I see it as my duty to carry out a financial feasability study in the next few days so that we know exactly what it is costing us to enjoy the view here.''
Derbyshire have had very little to enjoy against Gloucestershire and, after resuming at 281 for nine overnight, were condemned to bat again on a lifeless pitch when Jon Lewis had Kevin Dean held at first slip to claim a career-best six for 48.
Michael Slater's dismal run continued with a miscued late cut, Tim Tweats extended a leaner run by bagging a pair and Derbyshire were in need of steadier resistance when Kim Barnett became a third victim for wicket-keeper Jack Russell.
Rollins, driving with great power off front foot and back, had seven fours and a six in passing 50 off 63 balls but was marooned on 99 when tea was taken with Derbyshire in sight of a draw at 225 for three.