Derbyshire end two-year drought – and it's down to a 16-year-old debutant

Derbyshire 288 (Madsen 70, Milnes 53) and 160 (Reece 55, de Lange 3-53, Salter 3-60) beat Glamorgan 237 (Selman 50, Palladino 4-36) and 172 ( Selman 43, Cooke 39*, Qadri 5-60) by 39 runs
Scorecard

© DerbyshireCCC

Hamidullah Qadri, at 16 the youngest Derbyshire debutant in a Championship game, staged a dream finale as he took five wickets to lead Derbyshire to their first four day win since beating Leicestershire in July 2015 – 710 days ago.

On a turning Cardiff pitch, where the spinners bowled 57.3 of the 69.3 overs in the second innings, and took 9 wickets, Glamorgan batsmen struggled throughout.

Qadri, born in Kandahar, returned figures of 5-60 on debut, including the final wicket, to help dismiss Glamorgan for 172. It was their first championship victory since Derbyshire defeated Northamptonshire at Wantage Road and completed one of the most heartwarming stories in Championship history.

The Millennium child – the first player from the 21st century to make a Championship appearance – had done the trick.

Even in Wales, land of the story-tellers, they might manage a tale or two.

His excellent figures reflected how well he bowled, and Kim Barnett, the Derbyshire head coach, and a good judge of a young cricketer, certainly made the correct choice when he first saw him perform and pronounced he was “ready for the first team”.

Qadri was well supported by the Sri Lankan leg spinner Jeevan Mendis, and Wayne Madsen, an occasional off spinner who took two crucial wickets in mid-innings.

Glamorgan had started the day on 0-1 and approached the start of the day with caution in the face of some tight bowing from the Derbyshire spinners.

Only nine runs were added in 11.4 overs when the first wicket went down. Nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten was caught by an excellent running catch at midwicket by Luis Reece off Qadri.

Owen Morgan was snaffled at slip and when Glamorgan’s leading run scorer Colin Ingram holed out at mid- on, the home team were struggling on 42 for 4.

Nick Selman and Aneurin Donald consolidated,and added 50 for the fifth wicket, before Madsen, with the last ball of his first over, had Donald caught at short leg by Alex Hughes who had previously dropped three chances in that position: Derbyshire;s hopes flared again.

Two overs later, Madsen took his second wicket when Selman,who made a patient 43 from 122 balls, was stumped down the leg side after the bowler had seen him advancing down the pitch.

After Selman and Donald’s partnership, Glamorgan had recognised batsmen left, but Andrew Salter and Graham Wagg were both dismissed by Qadri. Salter was LBW sweeping, while Wagg was not happy to have been given out caught down the leg side, when replays suggested the ball came off his chest.

Marchant De Lange threatened with a few lusty blows, before he was needlessly run out, and Chris Cooke, who never looked in any trouble, was left stranded on 39 not out, when Michael Hogan chipped Qadri to mid wicket. It was the perfect conclusion to one of the most remarkable debuts in the history of the Championship,

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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