The Sabres go down again in the National League as they are beaten by the Scorpions at Derby

Somerset Sabres are still looking for that elusive first win in the National League after they stumbled to their second successive defeat when they were beaten by Derbyshire Scorpions by 15 runs.

The Sabres were once again indebted to two half century partnerships lower down the order after half their batsmen had been dismissed for 53.

Chasing a Scorpions total of 220 the Sabres reply got off to a disastrous start when Dominic Cork dismissed Marcus Trescothick LBW before a run had been scored.

Mike Burns and Jamie Cox then took the score onto 34 before the captain was out for 18.

Two more wickets fell shortly afterwards when Cox was out for 16 followed quickly by James Bryant for 2.Keith Parsons was dismissed for 10 as the Sabres slipped to 53 for 5.

Parson's dismissal brought together Ian Blackwell who was making his first NCL appearance for the Sabres and the ever reliable Rob Turner and between them they stemmed the fall of wickets.

Still requiring 168 for victory the sixth wicket pair brought up the hundred but with the score on 108 and after adding 55 for the sixth wicket they were both out, Blackwell scoring a very welcome 40 runs and Turner 16.

Richard Johnson once again demonstrated what a dangerous batsmen he can be and along with Nixon McLean added 53 for the ninth wicket before he was out caught off the bowling of Dominic Cork for 53 Johnson had scored his runs off 47 balls and included 2 x 6's and 2 x4's.

McLean stayed at the wicket a little longer and brought up the two hundred before he was the last man out bowled by Graeme Welch for 28 as the Sabres were all out for 205 in the 42nd over.

Earlier Derbyshire had made 220 for 7 from their 45 overs, thanks largely to an unbeaten 88 from Steven Selwood who along with Chris Bassano (57) rescued the innings when they shared a fourth wicket stand of 88 after the Scorpions had slipped to 3 for 32.

For the Sabres England man Andy Caddick was the pick of the Somerset bowlers ending with 2 for 27 on his first Sunday outing of the season for the club.