Scorpions sting Scotland

An excellent all-round performance with both bat and ball by Derbyshire's Dominic Hewson helped put the skids under Scotland's hitherto unbeaten season in Division 2 of the National League today.

Two days ago, the weather robbed Derbyshire of a probable victory over league leaders Northants. Today, it was the turn of second in the table Scotland to face Dominic Cork's Scorpions at the Raeburn Place ground, Edinburgh.

Derbyshire won the toss and asked the Scots to bat. Kevin Dean had the home side in early difficulties when he removed both Watson and Neil MacRae for just 19, but has already been proved on more than one occasion, Scotland are no pushovers.

Derbyshire introduced Shahid Afridi and Tom Lungley into the attack but both proved expensive.
The visitors rang the changes to little effect as Doug Lockhart and Kent added 108 for the third wicket before Lockhart, playing the sheet-anchor role was dismissed for 37. With Kent still batting fluently a decent total seemed likely - until Cork turned to Dominic Hewson who nailed the hard-hitting middle-order batsman in his first over for a splendid 85.

It was the beginning of the end as wickets started to tumble with increased regularity. Hewson ended with a season's best 4-25 and when Cork removed the last two batsmen in successive balls, Scotland had subsided to 206 all out.

The Derbyshire reply at first was anything but uneventful, with Andrew Gait and especially Shahid Afridi despatching the home attack to all parts at better than a run a ball. Afridi was the first to go, the first of Craig Wright's three victims with the total on 44. The Pakistani star had clattered four boundaries and two maximums in his whirlwind 35 from just 19 balls.

Di Venuto came and went quickly as the weather closed in, prompting Cork to move himself up the order as it looked as though Derbyshire would be thwarted for the second time in three days. After a long interruption following a downpour, the Duckworth Lewis tables were consulted once again - and a new victory target of 139 was determined.

Cork immediately became Wright's third victim, and with Gait going soon afterwards leaving the Scorpions stuttering on 95-4, a home victory seemed possible. Enter Hewson once more. Three fours and an enormous six had Derbyshire cruising once more, finally achieving the victory target with more than six overs to spare.

Derbyshire 139-4 (Gait 37, Afridi 35, Wright 3-25) beat Scotland 206 (Kent 85, Lockhart 37, Hewson 4-25) by 6 wickets under Duckworth/Lewis rules


Posted by Eddie