Derbyshire prevail in low-scoring game
20-Jun-2010
Derbyshire allrounder Garry Park took three wickets as the visitors claimed an unlikely nine-run Friends Provident t20 win over Northamptonshire. Nicky Boje took 3 for 20 and Zimbabwe international Elton Chigumbura claimed 1 for 8 in four overs as Derbyshire posted what looked a mediocre 109 for nine with Lee Goddard top-scoring with 22. Despite a pedestrian 37 off 46 balls by Alex Wakely, Northants fell 10 runs short of their modest target with Steffan Jones and Tim Groenewald taking two wickets each.
Derbyshire won the toss and chose to bat first, but they lost Wes Durston (three) in the second over when he was trapped lbw by former Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas. South Africa international Loots Bosman made the same score before departing after scooping Jack Brooks to Chigumbura at mid-off.
Steelbacks skipper Andrew Hall then bowled Chesney Hughes for 12 to leave the Falcons teetering on 23 for 3. Chigumbura, who was making his home debut, then caught and bowled Derbyshire captain Robin Peterson (14) before Boje trapped John Sadler (five) leg before.
The visitors continued to toil, with Jonathan Clare's six over long-on in the 14th over their first boundary in seven overs before he went for 14 when he smashed Boje to Hall at extra cover.
Boje then claimed his third wicket by pinning Park (20) lbw before Hall sent Jones's offstump cartwheeling, without troubling the scorers.
Groenewald made four before launching Hall to Rob White at deep midwicket, with Derbyshire only getting past a hundred in their final over.
Chasing 110, Northants lost White (four) in the third over when he sliced Groenewald to Sadler, who took and easy catch at third man, as their chase got off to a sluggish start. Vaas - opening the batting - then hammered 18 off a Groenewald over to get them back on track on his way to 28 before he blasted Peterson to Groenewald at deep midwicket.
Boje went for four by knocking Jones to Clare at extra cover before he claimed his second wicket by forcing Chigumbura to edge to wicketkeeper Goddard for two. It was slow going for the hosts afterwards and they lost Wakely when he hammered Park to Clare at deep extra cover.
Bosman took David Willey (three) in the same position off Park and the same bowler made wicketkeeper David Murphy edge to Goddard before Groenewald bowled James Middlebrook (one) in the final over.