GODDARD AND WAGG PROSPER AS DERBYSHIRE LET OFF THE HOOK by Marcus Hook
Derbyshire 273-6 v Surrey.

Yesterday, when Derbyshire subsided to 124 for six against Surrey's second-string seam attack, the home side appeared to be on course to register not so much as a single batting point for the third match running. But thanks to an unbeaten 149-run partnership in 54 overs between Lee Goddard and Graham Wagg, for the hosts' seventh wicket, the day's honours ended up being more or less evenly distributed.

Goddard, a 23-year-old wicketkeeper, who was released by Derbyshire last summer and is only playing on a match-by-match basis due to Jamie Pipe's broken thumb, recorded his maiden first-class fifty. He was ably supported by Wagg, who joined the Nottingham Road outfit last winter with two half-centuries under his belt and a reputation as an all-rounder who likes to go for his shots.

On this occasion, however, the former Warwickshire man reined in his attacking instincts to make an undefeated 71 in 170 deliveries. At the other ended Goddard had 77 from 177 balls when stumps were drawn.

With no Travis Birt, whose ankle failed a late fitness test, and skipper Steve Stubbings departing to the third ball of the match, Derbyshire, who won the toss, soon appeared to be hoping for the return of the bad light which delayed the start.

Following the loss of twelve overs, Stubbings had his middle stump flattened by an inswinging delivery. Tim Murtagh was in the action again in the thirteenth over when Chris Taylor pushed at one and was caught first slip. Murtagh, making what is expected to be his last appearance for Surrey, was unlucky not to have a third wicket when Hassan Adnan edged him in-between keeper and first slip for four.

But 18-year-old Paul Borrington, whose father, Tony, was a Derbyshire regular in the late 1970's, managed just eighteen in as many overs in his first match of the campaign before he edged tentatively at Neil Saker to leave his side struggling on 60 for three at lunch.

Adnan and Greg Smith appeared to be repairing the situation when the former was caught low down at second slip off Saker. Ant Botha got a leading edge to cover point when Stewart Walters held one up, then Smith flashed at Jade Dernbach and was caught behind for an attractive 39.

But Goddard and Wagg dug in to register a new record for Derbyshire's seventh wicket against Surrey, surpassing Paul Newman and Allan Warner's 102-run alliance at Derby in 1985.

By tea, the pair had put on 72 and after the break they safely negotiated a number of half chances close to the wicket and a missed stumping off Nayan Doshi. Goddard reached his half-century in 101 deliveries, by driving Ian Salisbury through cover for his sixth four, and Wagg posted his fifty off 125 balls.

The visitors chose to rest Mark Ramprakash, who therefore becomes only the sixth batsman to average over one hundred in an English summer. Ramprakash's 24 innings in double or triple figures is also a new record for a batsman going trough a season without being dismissed for less than ten. The previous best was Sachin Tendulkar's record for the Indian tourists in 1990, when the veteran of 132 Tests made double figures in 19 visits to the crease in first-class cricket.

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