Rain erases Derbyshire bid

Derbyshire surrendered their 100% record in the Royal London Cup in frustrating fashion when rain cut short a run-chase against Worcestershire at New Road.

When the visitors' innings was halted, they were ahead on Duckworth-Lewis calculations but still 14 balls short of batting for the minimum period of 10 overs.

Having dismissed the home side for 261, the Falcons were in a promising position with openers Billy Godleman and Wes Durston on 37 without loss in 7.4 overs when a series of thundery shows began to roll in over the Malvern Hills.

If they had been able to get back on the field in time to reach the 10-over requirement, they would have needed only six more runs to wrap up a third straight victory in the first week of the competition.

The only satisfaction for skipper Wayne Madsen was that his bowlers continued their strong form in the group. In three matches, they have bowled out Hampshire and Worcestershire and taken eight wickets against Leicestershire.

The seamers dug deep into Worcestershire's batting before Daryl Mitchell's team discovered some of the resilience that has made them clear leaders in Division Two in the LV= County Championship and quarter-finalists in the NatWest T20 Blast.

The turning point was a fifth-wicket stand of 114 in 18 overs.

Teenager Tom Kohler-Cadmore has set personal-best scores in all three competitions in the space of three weeks and Ross Whiteley continued his resurgence with three half-centuries inside a week, two of these in meetings with his previous county.

The former Derbyshire left hander kick-started his season with nine sixes in an unbeaten 84 in a Twenty20 success last Friday and followed that with 52 as Worcestershire registered a first win in the 50-over format against Northamptonshire on Tuesday.

Derbyshire's return visit to New Road set new problems with the home side wobbling on 73 for 4 after Tom Taylor had removed openers Richard Oliver, jabbing to point when the ball held up in the pitch, and Mitchell, caught down the leg-side.

Misplaced drives to mid-off and mid-on accounted for Tom Fell (23) and Alexei Kervezee (15), but some momentum was restored as Whiteley thumped a first six wide of long-on off David Wright and another over midwicket off Alex Hughes.

Kohler-Cadmore was more conservative until surging towards a maiden half-century in the competition with three fours in an over from Mark Footitt, although two came from edgy shots to third man.

Whiteley advanced to 53 from 49 deliveries, but Derbyshire got the breakthrough they needed when he was caught at cover off Taylor.

Kohler-Cadmore kept things going for a while until he was bowled for 71, trying to work Hughes on the leg-side, and the enthusiastic Ben Cox chipped in with 39 from 24 balls before Footitt cleaned out the last three wickets.