Drakes grabs four wickets in four balls

LONDON - Vasbert Drakes took four wickets with the first four balls of the final over to give Nottinghamshire a dramatic eight run victory over Derbyshire in an English Nationaal League Division Two one-day match on Sunday.

The 30-year-old all-rounder from Barbados, who played five One-Day Internationals against Australia in 1995, has been having a good season with the ball.

A high scoring match at Trent Bridge was heading down to the wire before Drakes struck.

Notts, batting first, had made 269 for 7 from their 45 overs, after openers Jason Gallian (53) and Usman Afzaal (57) had set a solid foundation.

Derbyshire made a strong response led by Mark Cassar (109 from 118 balls) and Richard Weston (56 from 63 balls), and needed ten runs off the 45th and final over.

In an extraordinary finish, Drakes yorked Phil DeFreitas off stump and Adrian Rollins middle stump. James Pyemont was promptly leg-before and Simon Lacey yorked leg stump.

A 'dot' ball and a single to Trevor Smith ended the over and the match with Derbyshire 261-9. Drakes became only the second bowler to perform the four-in-four feat in the competition - Alan Ward having done so against Sussex at Derby in 1970 - and only the third in English domestic one-day cricket.

Shaun Pollock managed it for Warwickshire against Leicestershire at Edgbaston in the Benson and Hedges Cup three years ago.

Matthew Cassar had made 109, with ten fours and a six, from 118 balls for Derbyshire who lost seven wickets for 35 runs in six overs, long after Cassar had shared a punishing third-wicket partnership with half-century maker Weston worth 118 in 19 overs.

Notts, who ended a run of three defeats, were launched towards a demanding total by half-centuries by Jason Gallian and Usman Afzaal.