Ripley reflects on small margins after Northants suffer defeat at Derbyshire

The County required 140 further runs with seven wickets remaining heading into the closing stages of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Chesterfield.

But they lost their final six wickets for just 47 runs as they were bowled out for 274 with spinners Matthew Critchley (6-106) and Hamidullah Qadri (3-66) doing the damage.

And Northants head coach Ripley said: "It was an entertaining four-day cricket match and batting last against two spinners we were under a bit of pressure.

“We felt they could be under pressure to bowl us out because that isn’t an easy task but fair play, that’s what they delivered on a day four pitch that’s been helpful to them.

“From our perspective, we maybe could have taken one side of the wicket out a bit more but we were pretty competitive in a competitive match that ebbed and flowed and we’ve lost out by a small margin.”

Northants are now 55 points adrift of the second promotion spot in division two, while Derbyshire have cut their gap to 35.

And Critchley, the home side's key man in the second innings bowling effort, said: "The way Hammie (Qadri) came on there, he bowled two balls that if a more high profile spinner had bowled them they would have taken over the internet!

"For me, at 21, and Hammie, who is only 17, it’s a pretty good effort to be fair.

“We knew if we bowled enough good balls and didn’t let them get on top we would have enough because it was a tough pitch and we are both attacking spinners.

“I want to keep taking it forward.

"I’m only 21 and I know it’s not going to happen every day but I just want to get into situations where I can bowl last on pitches like this and try to win games.”