Win keeps Derbyshire's quarter-final hopes alive
Derbyshire kept their hopes of reaching the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals alive by completing a double over fast-fading Warwickshire in Edgbaston
06-Jul-2011
Derbyshire kept their hopes of reaching the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals alive by completing a double over fast-fading Warwickshire in Edgbaston. Derbyshire survived a bombardment from Varun Chopra - who smashed five fours and two sixes in his 17-ball dash to 40 - before strolling home by 33 runs by dismissing the home side for 129.
The match turned as soon as Chopra drove a catch to cover off the second delivery from Derbyshire's veteran seamer Steffan Jones. With rain threatening, Warwickshire tried to keep up with the Duckworth-Lewis target, but their challenge disintegrated altogether as Derbyshire's spin pair, Tom Knight and Greg Smith, shared four wickets in their eight overs.
Knight held a return catch from Rikki Clarke and completed an immaculate spell with returns of 3 for 19, before the third spinner in the side, Wes Durston, took two of the last three wickets to wrap up a fine all-round performance. He had earlier top scored for his side with 64 from 58 balls and also held two catches.
Derbyshire might have expected something bigger than their eventual total of 162 for 5 after flying out of the blocks with Durston's opening stand of 83 in 50 balls with New Zealand's Martin Guptill. Guptill hoisted three sixes - planting Steffan Piolet's first delivery on to the third tier of the new pavilion stand - before he was stumped for 38 off former Derbyshire spinner Ant Botha.
Piolet recovered from his poor start - his second ball also went to the boundary for four leg byes - and registered the best figures for his side, taking 2 for 22 in four overs as Derbyshire dropped off the pace.
Durston stayed until the last ball, hitting seven fours before he was caught behind off Keith Barker.
Warwickshire welcomed back England seamer Chris Woakes after his release from the one-day international squad, but he conceded 20 runs in two overs. He did not fare any better with the bat, making just a single from three balls as Luke Sutton stumped him on the leg-side for Knight's second wicket.
Woakes' inclusion in the county side meant that Neil Carter finally lost his record of appearing in every one of Warwickshire's Twenty20 matches since the competition was launched in 2003.