Scorecard

Nottinghamshire elected to pursue batting points as the LV= county championship match against Derbyshire ended in a draw at Trent Bridge.

Michael Lumb took the batting honours, scoring a career-best 221 not out, as Notts reached 436 for eight before declaring.

The left-hander had reached his hundred on the third evening, his third century in just eight innings.

"It was a nice wicket to bat on and I’m over the moon." Michael Lumb

“I feel good,” he said. “Probably the best I’ve hit the ball since as long as I can remember. It was a nice wicket to bat on and I’m over the moon. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get a result but personally I’m very happy.”

Lumb’s innings surpassed a knock of 219 not out, ironically made at Trent Bridge against Notts, during his time as a Hampshire player and he admitted he had that target in mind.

“Obviously I got that score here before, so I knew what it was – it was getting touch and go as to whether I’d get there or not but fortunately I got a couple of balls to hit to see me over the line.”

Batting on from their overnight 204 for three, Notts found runs easy to come by at the start of the day as Lumb and Fletcher rotated the strike and found the boundary with great regularity.

Fletcher gained some real momentum as he put Tim Groenewald away for four boundaries in a row, bringing up the 250 in the process.

The nightwatchman had scored an unbeaten 25 at Scarborough in the last match and carried that form into this innings as he punished anything with width.

On 33 he was given a life, clipping Wes Durston firmly to midwicket, the powerfully struck shot burst through the hands of Wayne Madsen.

Lumb continued on his imperious way, bringing up his 150 (186 balls, 20x4), shortly before his partner reached his first half century (79 balls, 7x4) since 2009.

A swept four by Lumb off David Wainwright brought up the 300 and the third batting point.

The same bowler then dropped two deliveries far too short to Fletcher and was thumped high into the Fox Road Stand from the first and then one bounce over the ropes in the same direction from the next.

Nottinghamshire’s fourth wicket pair had added 123 when Derbyshire claimed their only wicket of the session as Durston got one to turn and keep low, to have Fletcher (64) given out lbw by umpire Mark Benson.

With the luncheon interval in sight and rain not far away Lumb punished Wainwright for three fours in a row and ensured that a fourth batting point was captured.

Early afternoon thunderstorms then arrived for the fourth day running and wiped out over an hour before Steven Mullaney (7) fell to Groenewald’s first delivery with the second new ball.

Chesney Hughes, at second slip, took the catch but before Chris Read could open his account the rains returned.

A further short pocket of play saw Notts advance to 383 for five at tea but then a further fifty minutes cricket saw Lumb reach his milestone.

His double-hundred (267 balls, 26x4) came from consecutive boundaries off Mark Turner and he reached his new personal best with a pulled six off Footitt.

Read (21) and Paul Franks (8) had both been bowled by Turner, who then had Andre Adams (11) caught in the deep by Chanderpaul but by that point Notts had their maximum batting points, leaving only Lumb’s joyous celebration to complete the day.

Nottinghamshire remain fifth after taking 11 points from the contest, whilst Derbyshire’s 8 points does little to improve their position at the bottom of the Division One table.