ANY chance of a first LV County Championship victory of the season disappeared for Derbyshire County Cricket Club on the final morning against Hampshire at the 3aaa County Ground.
With Hampshire still trailing by 51 overnight at 20-0, Derbyshire needed early success with the new ball but the breakthrough would not come.
By tea, the match was heading for a tame draw, with Hampshire 208-3, ahead by 137.
Balls beat the edge regularly in the final nine overs of the third day and there were more near misses to start the fourth but no crucial nicks.
Mark Turner did draw an edge from Michael Carberry but it went just wide of second slip and to the boundary to take Hampshire to 50.
Shortly after, Jimmy Adams hit one from Turner straight to midwicket but the ball fell a couple of feet short of Shivnarine Chanderpaul. That was about as close as Derbyshire were to come to a wicket in the first session.
Adams added to his satisfaction by moving to a career landmark of 10,000 first-class runs when he clipped a four through midwicket to move to 42.
The last chance of Derbyshire forcing the contest open again disappeared with the first ball after lunch, with the score 93-0. Adams edged a back-foot push off Chesney Hughes but wicketkeeper Richard Johnson juggled and dropped the opportunity.
Three balls later, Adams moved to 50, off 134 balls with eight fours.
Finally, the first wicket fell in the 49th over at 117, when Carberry drove Wes Durston straight to Hughes at cover for 47.
Stephen Moore took a spectacular catch at cover to dismiss Liam Dawson for 22 off Mark Footitt, who then ended Adams' resistance on 84 with an lbw decision at 170-3 but it was too late to make a difference.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
