Godleman's hundred keeps knockouts in sight for Derbyshire

Derbyshire 265 for 2 (Godleman 125*, Slater 94) beat Northamptonshire 214 (Duckett 57, Olivier 3-31, Rampaul 3-36) by 51 runs
Scorecard

Billy Godleman's second hundred in this year's Royal London Cup led Derbyshire to a 51-run win at Northamptonshire to keep them firmly in the hunt for a place in the knockout stage.

It was an impressive all-round display from Derbyshire, led by Godleman, who made a career-best 137 in the opening game of the competition at Edgbaston and followed up with an unbeaten 125 from 142 balls to steer his side carefully to 265 for 2 on a slow wicket.

The score was easily defended with all six bowlers taking wickets as Northants subsided for 214 to leave their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage hanging by a thread.

Godleman steered Derbyshire, having won the toss, with typically nugetty effort with few memorable strokes but a most-determined innings. He got going with a flashing cover drive off Ben Sanderson, struck another boundary past mid-off and a fierce pull backward of square as Derbyshire finished the Powerplay on 37 without loss.

Boundaries were at a premium but he swung Josh Cobb over midwicket before bursting the hands of short-fine leg for his ninth four to move to 98 and then raising his third List A century in 127 balls.

His opening partnership of 182 with Ben Slater was the record first-wicket stand in this fixture.

Slater, fresh from his century against Yorkshire on Wednesday, began his innings with two firm pulls but otherwise was content to run the bowling around and build the partnership. He swept Graeme White for four and pulled Cobb over midwicket.

A leg-side flick off Nathan Buck raised his sixth List A fifty in 78 balls with five fours. He then switch-hit Rob Keogh to the backward-point fence but completely missed a full toss from the same bowler and was clean bowled for 94.

Northants' chase, as was the case in the previous match against Durham, was in early trouble. Rob Newton chipped Wayne Madsen to midwicket for just 2 and Josh Cobb clipped Ravi Rampaul to mid-on for 6 before Alex Wakely, after a stand of 51 for the third wicket, tried to reverse-sweep Matt Critchley and was plumb lbw for 19.

Ben Duckett has endured a miserable season so far but here, got set by driving Wayne Madsen - who bowled a seven-over opening spell for just 21 runs - over extra-cover before reverse-sweeping Critchley's legspin three times for boundaries in going to just a first half-century of the summer in 59 balls.

Duckett and Adam Rossington shared a partnership of 53 for the fourth wicket before Duckett lifted Alex Hughes into the hands of long-on to fall for 57 and Rossington, having reached a fortuitous 40, swung at Duanne Olivier and lost his leg stump.

Northants needed 107 from 11 overs but despite Rory Kleinvedlt striking two leg-side sixes they fell well short.