NCL Roundup - Divison 2

Scotland's stunning 6 wicket win over Sussex was the highlight of a busy day in the National Cricket League.

Derbyshire vs. Middlesex

Andrew Strauss put the home side in at Derby, and they were indebted to a fantastic knock from Michael di Venuto, who hit 106 from 111 balls whilst the rest of the top order collapsed to the superb bowling of Tim Bloomfield.
Such was the Australian's dominance, that by the time the 3rd wicket fell at 69, the other 3 batsmen (Selwood, Bassano and Kaif) had scored just 7 between them.

Valuable late support came from Keeper Luke Sutton (39 from 53) and skipper Dominic Cork (41 from just 30 balls), and the home side did very well in the end to reach 259-8 from their overs.

In reply, Middlesex started in rapid fashion, and Paul Weekes added 84 in a mere 46 minutes with his captain, before the latter was bowled by Mohammed Ali for 57 off just 47 balls.

Pinch-hitter Chad Keegan failed, but that only brought the in-form Owais Shah to the middle, and once he started on his run-a-ball 66, the result was never in doubt, Ali in particular being smashed all over the park, conceding 49 in only 6 overs.

DERBYSHIRE 259-8 (Di Venuto 106, Cork 41, Bloomfield 4-25)
MIDDLESEX 260-6 (Shah 66, Strauss 57, Weekes 54)


Durham vs. Somerset

Somerset showed a very disciplined approach with the ball to dismiss the home side for 187 in the final over. All 5 bowlers used were impressive, and Steffan Jones led the way, removing both openers on the way to figures of 3-27. For Durham, only Martin Love with 42 and young keeper Phil Mustard with a 38-ball 41 showed any sign of geting on top of the bowling.

When Somerset came to bat, they were soon faltering at 48-3 when Jamie Cox fell, but Ian Blackwell came in and steered the match away from Durham. Shoaib Akhtar was brilliant in picking up 5 wickets, but the support was missing, and the match ended with 6 overs unbowled, as Blackwell scored an unbeaten 79 from 81 balls to ease them home.

DURHAM 187 (Love 42, Mustard 41, Jones 3-27)
SOMERSET 189-6 (Blackwell 79*, Shoaib 5-35)


Nottinghamshire vs. Lancashire

Yet again, Lancashire were indebted to veteran West Indian Carl Hooper, who held their innings together with a calmly paced 71. In contrast, Sturat Law had hit 47 from 45 balls, but the rest of the to order failed, and when Glen Chapple came out to bat, it was 99-5. A fine partnership of 87 ensued, as Chapple hit 37 from just 36 balls, to enable the side to post a 45-over score of 210-9.

The home side were swiftly reduced to 34-3 when Usman Afzaal joined Kevin Pietersen. The pair posted contrasting half centuries (Pietersen hitting 10 fours in a 46-ball 54, whereas Afzaal managed only 2 in his 86-ball 51) but the rest of the batting was very disappointing in the face of some accurate seam bowling from former England international Peter Martin, and they were bowled out with 16 balls to go for 185.

LANCASHIRE 210-9 (Hooper 71, Law 47, Smith 3-44)
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 185 (Pietersen 54, Afzaal 51, Martin 3-18)


Sussex vs. Scotland

Sussex decided to take first use of a perfect batting strip, and after the early losses of Tony Cottey and Carl Hopkinson, Murray Goodwin and Chris Adams assaulted the Saltires bowling to great effect. Goodwin scored 106 off 134 balls, whilst his skipper blasted his way to an unbeaten 95 from only 83 balls. With cameos from Robin Martin-Jenkins and Matt Prior (12 from only 4 balls), Sussex amassed 270-4, scoring at exactly 6 runs an over.

Big-hitting Ryan Watson (43 from 31 balls) and Douglas Lockhart put on a quick-fire 57, but both fell to Martin-Jenkins, and then James Kirtley added the scalp of James Brinkley as 3 wickets fell on the same score.

This brought together South African Justin Kent and Indian Rahul Dravid, who put together a fine stand of 167 before the latter fell for 69 from 79 balls to Martin-Jenkins.

The Scots were not to be denied though, and wicket-keeper Colin Smith kept Kent company to the end, as they won with 9 balls to spare, Kent finishing on 115 from 113 balls.

SUSSEX 270-4 (Goodwin 106, Adams 95*, Hoffman 3-40)
SCOTLAND 272-4 (Kent 115*, Dravid 69, Watson 43, Martin-Jenkins 3-43)

Posted by Marc