Hughes hits eighth first class hundred in drawn game

BRISTOL, England, CMC – Leeward Islands Hurricanes batsman Chesney Hughes stroked his eighth first class hundred to ensure a draw for Derbyshire on the final day of their County Championship match against Gloucestershire here yesterday.

The 25-year finished on an unbeaten 137 as the visitors closed on 260 for two at County Ground – an overall lead of 141 runs – before the game was called off.

Starting day four needing to bat well to avoid defeat after Gloucestershire had piled up 563 in their first innings for a lead of 119, the left-handed Hughes hardly put a foot wrong as he set about compiling three figures.

He faced 239 deliveries in 4-3/4 hours at the crease, striking 20 fours and a six. He lost Ben Slater for six with the score on six in the fourth over of the day but put on 176 for the second wicket with Hamish Rutherford (78) to rule out any chance of a collapse.

When Rutherford fell, Hughes added a further 80 in an unbroken third wicket stand with first innings century-maker, Wayne Madsen, who finished on 28 not out.

Hughes reached his hundred just before tea when when he drove off-spinner Jack Taylor for his 16th boundary, to be unbeaten on 123 at the break.

The knock completed a great outing for Hughes who narrowly missed out on a century in the first innings when he was dismissed for 96 in Derbyshire’s 444 all out.

Hughes, who hails from Anguilla, turned out for Hurricanes during the West Indies Regional Super50 in January.