Yorkshire hit speedy reply after the heroics 
of Hughes

Chesney Hughes’s unbeaten 270 for Derbyshire yesterday was the highest score by a visiting player in the Championship at Headingley, beating David Hussey’s 251 not out for Nottinghamshire three years ago.

It was the joint-fifth highest individual innings played at the ground, equalling Yorkshire’s Herbert Sutcliffe against Sussex in 1932, and inferior only to Darren Lehmann’s 339 for Yorkshire against Durham in 2006, Don Bradman’s 334 for Australia against England in 1930, John Edrich’s unbeaten 310 for England against New Zealand in 1965 and Bradman’s 304 for Australia against England in 1934.

Hughes’s innings was the seventh-highest against Yorkshire, a list headed by WG Grace’s unbeaten 318 for Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in 1876, and Derbyshire’s second-highest individual innings behind George Davidson’s 274 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 1896.

It was also the highest score by a player carrying his bat through a completed innings since 1935, when Kent’s Bill Ashdown made an unbeaten 305 against Derbyshire at Dover.

Doubtless more data will emerge in the next few days as the statisticians take stock of Hughes’s heroics.

Suffice to say that when a man is mentioned in the same breath as Bradman and Grace, not to mention Sutcliffe and Lehmann, that he has achieved something special, and how the 1,500 or so spectators present yesterday were grateful to have witnessed the special something that Hughes produced.

Yet for all the coruscating cover drives that characterised his performance, which spanned just over nine hours and 415 balls, the thing that will remain most in the memory is the coup de grace.

For when umpire Steve Gale adjudged last man Tim Groenewald lbw to Adil Rashid, thus denying Hughes the chance to break the Derbyshire record and a potential triple hundred, the batsman looked momentarily nonplussed.

But his disappointment turned to delight as he walked off the field, warmly applauded by the Headingley crowd and the Yorkshire players who trailed behind him.

“I just wanted to take in as much as I could walking off the pitch and the reaction of the Yorkshire players was tremendous,” said Hughes, who lifted Derbyshire to 475 before Yorkshire replied with 164-1, Joe Root striking an unbeaten 75 and Adam Lyth 69.

“Yorkshire came hard at me throughout my innings and I got hit on the head at one point, but their players clapped me through to every milestone and they all appreciated what I’d done, and I’m so thankful to them for that.

“There was a good crowd in, there was a good atmosphere, and Headingley is a great place to play.

“I was disappointed not to break the Derbyshire record, but I was delighted with what I achieved overall.”

Hughes – only the third Anguillan to play county cricket after Omari Banks and Cardigan Connor – resumed on 171 after Derbyshire made 302-4 on the opening day.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who revealed that former Hampshire star Connor texted him during his innings to encourage him to keep going, began a little nervously as a double hundred hoved into view, but it was not long before the cover drives were flowing and the records tumbling as he continued from where he left off.

Derbyshire suffered an early setback when Dan Redfern slashed the 12th ball of the morning, bowled by Tim Bresnan, to Lyth at second slip, which brought to the wicket former Yorkshire spinner David Wainwright.

Wainwright survived a difficult caught-and-bowled chance on 10 when Steve Patterson thrust out a right hand in his follow-through and he advanced to 18 before he became Rashid’s 300th first-class victim, lbw attempting to sweep.

However, Wainwright played an important hand, helping add 81 with Hughes, who went to his double hundred from 328 balls.

Derbyshire lost their seventh wicket shortly before lunch when Patterson trapped Jonathan Clare lbw.

Tom Poynton added 53 for the eighth wicket with Hughes in 13 overs before he was bowled by Liam Plunkett, fellow new boy Jack Brooks then producing a fine delivery to dismiss Tony Palladino.

Lyth and Root got Yorkshire’s reply off to a flying start, adding 126 in 33 overs before Lyth drove Groenewald to second slip.

With Root still there and power to come, it is not out of the question that Yorkshire could bat big and put pressure on Derbyshire in the third innings of the match.

Hughes’s work, in fact, may not yet be finished.