Derbyshire 251 for 9 Dec (Came 108) and 166 for 5 (du Plooy 61*) tied with Gloucestershire 383 (Charlesworth 87, Taylor 57*, Gohar 53, Hammond 50)
Gloucestershire had a chance of victory as Derbyshire fell to 28 for 3, but du Plooy’s 61 from 77 balls led Derbyshire to 166 for 5 to secure the tie.
Any late drama seemed unlikely at first when Gloucestershire’s main aim was to secure batting points. Charlesworth also watched a first first-class century and, along with Tom Price, brought his side within five runs of 250 as Derbyshire broke up the partnership.
Price had already been dropped twice, short midwicket by Suranga Lakmal and a caught-and-bowled chance for Alex Thomson, before going for a big swing to the offspinner and mistaking to cover.
The pair had posted 63 off 129 balls and Charlesworth, who had not passed his previous best of 77 out, secured the first run when he cut Henry Brookes for four over the slips. Charlesworth was then caught behind on a short ball from Brookes and Marchant de Lange’s attempts to hit the ball out of the Incora County Ground resulted in a broken bat before pushing Lakmal to second slip.
But that was the home side’s last success in 18 overs, as Taylor and Gohar eclipsed Gloucestershire’s highest ninth wicket count against Derbyshire of 95 by Mark Hardinges and Carl Greenidge at Derby in 2007.
Taylor drove Luis Reece for six to retrieve 300 and sent Brookes for another maximum en route to a 60-ball fifty. Gohar drove Lakmal for six to reach his fifty off 65 balls and set the new ninth wicket record before skipping the Sri Lankan to halfway.
The innings ended in the next over, but Gloucestershire now had enough lead and enough overs to put pressure on the home side. Any chance of the game slowly winding to an end vanished as Derbyshire lost three wickets in the space of 17 balls with a deficit still in three figures.
Harry Came kept his team together in the first innings, but this time he lasted just five overs before getting ahead in his path and caught out at gully.
Price struck in the next over with a full-length ball that hit Haider Ali up front and alarm bells rang as Wayne Madsen went without scoring. The veteran was knocked back by a ball from Price which went straight and left Derbyshire in trouble.
Deciding to be positive from the start, Du Plooy danced across the field to drive Taylor over long-off for six, but was nearly exhausted just before tea, which was taken with Derbyshire 64 down with 40 overs to go.
Brooke Guest remained with his skipper for 13 overs before drawing Ajeet Singh Dale to midwicket after du Plooy was dropped on 33 by Miles Hammond on a slip from Gohar.
Mitch Wagstaff shared a score of 43 off 70 balls in his second first-class innings, though Gohar believed he had caught him and bowled to 7, only for the umpires to rule that the ball had not been carried all the way. Wagstaff faced 48 balls before falling cutting Gohar, but Derbyshire were now in front and Luis Reece joined du Plooy to finally close the door to Gloucestershire.
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