Derbyshire heed Morkel's sound advice

A little experience goes a long way. Before the second innings at Grace Road, Derbyshire gathered on the outfield and Albie Morkel, their second overseas player, gave a short speech insisting that no matter how hard Leicestershire came out in the Powerplay, the game was not over. His new team-mates certainly heeded those words.

Chasing 174 to win, Leicestershire indeed produced a blazing start but, as Morkel had advised, Derbyshire sat tight and their spinners took chunks out of the middle order to leave the Foxes well short. Losing 6 for 36 killed them.

David Wainwright, his career revitalised after a move from Yorkshire before last season, did most of the damage. He bowled Matthew Boyce, had Shiv Thakor caught at short midwicket and deceived Michael Thorney by one that held it's line to take middle stump. Three wickets in six deliveries and Leicestershire were stuffed.

Wainwright brought his first victim to the crease after holding a superb diving catch, running back and diving to his right from mid-on, to send Shakib Al Hasan back for just 4.

The wicket heaped pressure on Australian Joe Burns, who was steering the chase well with 36 in 25 balls, including a sweetly-timed straight drive for six off Wes Durston. Burns charged at Dan Redfern's offspin, was deceived by a flighted delivery well wide of off stump, and was stumped. 53 were needed from 39 balls but two wickets in the next over stretched the task and Leicestershire had nothing down the order.

It was all a great waste after Josh Cobb - Leicestershire's one-day captain - had provided the platform Morkel had warned of. Cobb has been in fine touch in the Yorkshire Bank 40 with 467 runs at 77.83 and here showed his intent dispatching the first ball of the innings for four. He took 15 off the fourth over and, even though he swung once too often and was caught well by a retreating cover, got his side to 54 in the sixth over. His team-mates then squandered the bright start.

Leicestershire had scored 183 against Nottinghamshire on Friday but stumbled badly against a target set largely by a well-paced innings from Durston.

Durston is a player living a second life in county cricket after Derbyshire offered him a way back into the first-class game three years ago. He's repaid them, and in Derbyshire's opening Flt20 a day previously had become their highest run-scorer in the format.

Here he sat quietly for most of the innings, scoring at a run-a-ball for 14 overs before lifting Nathan Buck - whose four overs cost 48 - for six. He added another maximum off Anthony Ireland before being bowled to the penultimate delivery of the innings. It had been a very controlled, experienced innings - the type of cricket Derbyshire recognised he could produce.

For the opening five overs Durston was happily watching from the non-striker's end as Chesney Hughes drove, flicked and pulled with heart-warming West Indian flare. His longest strike, over midwicket, gave a small boy a nasty direct blow to the head; thankfully there was no damage.

Hughes mistimed a pull to mid-on to bring the antithesis of West Indian flare - Shivnarine Chanderpaul - to the crease. But Chanderpaul's unique method kept the scoreboard ticking healthily. He and Durston added 94 in 67 balls and without too much trouble Derbyshire had a very competitive total.