County Championship: Anuj Dal takes 5-40 as Derbyshire beat Worcestershire

Anuj Dal starred with bat and ball for Derbyshire at New Road

Anuj Dal capped a superb all-round performance with a crucial intervention with the ball as Derbyshire overcame Worcestershire by 98 runs in the County Championship match at New Road.

Dal followed up a first-innings fifty and then a superb century with a career-best return of 5-40 off 15 overs as Worcestershire were dismissed for 190 in 64.1 overs.

The all-rounder initially struck three times in the space of seven balls to break Worcestershire's resistance after they had resumed on 108-5 in pursuit of a target of 289.

He made the crucial breakthrough when trapping Jack Haynes lbw for 45 after a partnership of 92 with Gareth Roderick (53 not out).

Dal then sent back Joe Leach and Josh Baker in quick succession to effectively seal a third Championship win of the campaign for the visitors.

It capped a tremendous fightback by the visitors who faced several positions of adversity in the game.

They showed the character and spirit instilled into them by head coach Micky Arthur since he arrived at the Incora County Ground this season.

Derbyshire are now firmly in the race for a promotion spot for when they return to Championship action after the Royal London Cup.

But Worcestershire were left to reflect on failing to press home a position of strength for the second home game.

They had established a first-innings lead of 132 against Glamorgan and ended up being edged out by three wickets on a bowler-friendly surface.

This time they reduced Derbyshire to 14-5 in their first innings and then 92-5 in the second when their lead was just 37.

A third defeat of the campaign was a blow to their own promotion hopes.

Haynes and Roderick were relatively untroubled during the opening hour of the day but the introduction of Dal at 143-5 started a swift decline by Worcestershire.

Haynes had battled away for nearly three hours for his 45 before he pushed forward to Dal and was lbw.

Leach lasted only two balls before he drove at Dal and picked out Hilton Cartwright at cover.

Josh Baker lost his off stump after offering no shot and keeper Brooke Guest claimed his ninth catch of the match from a Dillon Pennington edge.

Roderick had time to complete his maiden Championship half-century for Worcestershire off 126 balls before Muhammed Hasnain edged Sam Conners to second slip to seal Derbyshire's win.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.

Worcestershire head coach Alex Gidman:

"We're just bitterly disappointed. We had a great position to put ourselves in a powerful position, let that slip and we couldn't drag it back Derbyshire got themselves back into the game and kept the foot down an.

"Jack Haynes and Kashif Ali put on a great partnership in the first innings but to lose them both as quickly as we did at that period of the game was crucial.

"We've got to bear in mind that the batters have performed very well this year. We've got some outstanding numbers which have helped us out at times when perhaps we haven't bowled as well.

Derbyshire head coach Micky Arthur:

"To bounce back from where we were in this game at times shows character and resilience and : belief in their ability and belief in each other's ability. There is a lot of trust in the dressing room.

"Our goal at the start of the season in the Championship was to be alive and playing for promotion in September and we are going to be doing that. And I do believe our ceiling is even higher. There is a little bit more to come

"Anuj Dal can be even better. Everyone in the dressing toom can be better. The type of figures and performances we are getting out of our dressing room now is testimony to the hard work they've put in but also the belief in their own ability. The guys are performing under pressure and that's the key."