Brilliant Critchley cracks century in Chesterfield run feast

A brilliant century by Matt Critchley was the highlight of a winning draw for Chesterfield at home to Swarkestone in their latest Derbyshire County League, Premier Division match.
An exquisite cover drive from Matt Critchley en route to his brilliant century for Chesterfield.An exquisite cover drive from Matt Critchley en route to his brilliant century for Chesterfield.
An exquisite cover drive from Matt Critchley en route to his brilliant century for Chesterfield.

Going in at number four, Critchley cracked 108 off only 84 balls, firing four sixes and ten fours, as Chesterfield amassed a huge total of 300-9 in theitr allotted 48 overs.

In reply, the visitors got behind the required run-rate from an early stage and opted to bat out, finishing 204-5, which might have satisfied them but didn’t result in the best of entertainment for the few diehard supporters who stayed to the end.

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Chesterfield were on the front foot from the off as opener Ben Slater hit an aggressive 51 (one six and seven fours), putting on 67 for the third wicket with Critchley, who dominated the rest of the innings. He took his league average this term to 59.67 and showed exactly why he has secured a spot in Derbyshire’s Twenty20 team.

Drage Thompson (34) and young Sam Fawcett (24) also kept the scoreboard ticking as the hosts took full advantage of a bowling and fielding performance that Swarkestone will want to forget.

Because of injuries, Chesterfield opened their bowling with senior spinner Brian Gladwin, whose tight spell of 14 overs for just 26 runs, coupled with a return of 3-36 by Josh Savage, was the reason the hosts’ reply struggled to get going. Savage has now taken a third of the hosts’ league wickets this term with 45 at an average of just 19.07.