Derbyshire finish with a win
Derbyshire concluded their CB40 campaign with a three-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring encounter at Canterbury
29-Aug-2011
Derbyshire 211 for 7 beat Kent 208 for 9 by three wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Derbyshire concluded their CB40 campaign with a three-wicket win over Kent in a
low-scoring encounter at Canterbury.
In pursuit of Kent's modest 40-over total of 208 for nine, the Falcons reached
their target with three balls to spare to clinch their sixth Group A success of
the season for a third-placed finish.
Batting proved difficult for both sides on a dry, previously-used pitch, where
no less than nine spinners plied their trade to entice a rash of ill-judged
shots during an end-of-season clash that had nothing riding on the result in
terms of qualification or prize money. Derbyshire made a poor start when confusion over a short single between Chesney Hughes and Matt Lineker led to Hughes being run out for one by Daniel
Bell-Drummond.
Lineker reached 13 before edging an airy drive to the keeper off Adam Ball then
Wes Durston holed out to long-on to give James Tredwell the first of his two
wickets. Greg Smith and Wayne Madsen combined to add 67 in 12 overs for the fourth
wicket before Smith (28) danced past a turning delivery from Tredwell to be
stumped.
Madsen was rewarded for his vigilance with a 59-ball half-century, but undid
his good work 10 balls later by chipping a return catch to off-spinner Adam
Riley to go for 64.
With 11 required Jonathan Clare (19) skied to deep mid-wicket off an Azhar
Mahmood slower ball then, with five needed, Ross Whiteley crashed a low catch to
cover to go for an eye-catching 40, leaving Peter Burgoyne to win it with a
rasping cover drive to the ropes in the final over.
Batting first after winning the toss on an overcast afternoon, Kent's openers
Joe Denly and Bell-Drummond made an unusually watchful start. With only 14 on the board, Bell-Drummond (five) went leg-before midway through the fifth over when playing around a straight one from Tony Palladino.
Denly hit numerous crisp drives during his 36-ball stay but picked out the
fielders more often than not. His patience ran out with his score on 35 when he
sliced another forcing shot to Madsen at point to gift Clare a cheap wicket.
The soft dismissals continued when van Jaarsveld (18) chipped a catch to short
mid-wicket then, three overs later, Darren Stevens (one) mistimed a drive to
short extra cover against the off-spin of Tom Knight. Sam Northeast (10) played across the line to be bowled by Knight, bringing together acting Kent captain Geraint Jones and Azhar Mahmood to ensure the hosts edged past 200.
The sixth-wicket partners added 44 in 6.2 overs with Jones contributing a cameo
34 with three fours, while Mahmood reached a patient 50, only his second in the
competition this year, from 69 balls and with only four boundaries.
Mahmood went for a season's best 68 when he carved a back-foot slash into the
hands of backward point, Tredwell heaved across the line to be bowled for one
then Palladino snared Jones lbw to finish with fine figures of four for 32.
Matt Coles and Ball hit out lustily in the closing stages to leave the Falcons
to chase at an asking rate of 5.22 an over.