Keedy spins Lancashire to victory

Derbyshire 215 & 182 v Lancashire 469, Lancashire win by an innings and 72 runs

Gary Keedy emerged from the shadow cast by his illustrious spin partner to produce another impressive display and inspire Lancashire's comprehensive victory over Derbyshire in the Second Division.

Gary Keedy emerged from the shadow cast by his illustrious spin partner to produce another impressive display and inspire Lancashire's comprehensive victory over Derbyshire in the Second Division.

The 30-year-old left-arm spinner manipulated the mystique surrounding the prolific Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan to claim six for 60 at Old Trafford and condemn Derbyshire to defeat by an innings and 72 runs on the final day.

Keedy exploited Derbyshire's determination to survive against Muralitharan by mopping up at the other end to claim Lancashire's second successive Championship triumph.

Resuming 173 runs adrift on 81 for 1, Derbyshire never recovered from losing three wickets in 11 balls to Keedy shortly before lunch. And despite a determined 65 from the opener Steve Stubbins, the visitors collapsed to 182 all out by the middle of the afternoon.

Keedy began to make his impact shortly before lunch after James Anderson had removed the stubborn nightwatchman Andy Gray for 28.

Both Jonathan Moss and Hassan Adnan had fallen cheaply when Keedy came on to replace Muralitharan from the Brian Statham End. He struck in his first over, bowling Luke Sutton around his legs as he tried to sweep.

Keedy broke through again in his next over, claiming two wickets in three balls by earning a leg before decision against James Bryant when he shouldered arms and then having Graeme Welch caught close to the bat. But perhaps the most important breakthrough was ending Stubbins's 74 overs of defiance when he propped forward seven overs after lunch and was caught close to the bat off an edge, after hitting eight boundaries during his defiant innings.

His demise all but ended Derbyshire's resistance and took Keedy's tally of wickets in two matches this season to 10. The former Yorkshire player finished with impressive hauls in the last two seasons of 72 and 60 wickets to keep him on the fringes of international recognition.