Hutton frustrates Derbyshire's victory dream

A five-wicket haul by Ben Hutton and an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership between Robin Weston and David Nash were the main reasons that Middlesex beat Derbyshire by 16 runs at Southgate, to register their first Norwich Union League win of the season.

Derbyshire needed 234 in their 45 overs and, as long as Rob Bailey was there, they had a chance. But Bailey, when he had made 71 off 110 balls, skied Hutton to long-off and was one of the all-rounder's five victims at a cost of 45 runs - a limited-overs career-best performance.

Earlier, Tom Lungley, as he had done in the Championship match, took three quick wickets and, in spite of Andy Strauss's 55, Middlesex, at 109 for six, looked as though they might not get nearly enough runs on what is a fast-scoring ground.

Then Nash joined Weston (formerly of Derbyshire) and they stayed together until the end of the innings, by which time they had added 124 for the seventh wicket and taken Middlesex to 233.

Weston's 80 not out (including eight fours) was by far his best score for Middlesex in any competition and he found, in Nash (57*), the ideal partner. Their 124 came off 20 overs and made Derbyshire's task just difficult enough.

They might have come closer, but too many of their batsmen seemed to lose patience and get themselves out. There were five skied catches after Michael Di Venuto had been run out. A frustrating afternoon for Derbyshire, because a win would have taken them to the top of the second division.