Run feast in the rain

Derby; Derbyshire (3 points) were beaten by Yorkshire (22 points) by ten wickets.


Fresh from his Twenty 20 cup exploits, Michael Lumb lead the white rose county's charge with a well played, watchful 93 from over 200 deliveries, a strike rate around a quarter of that he powered to in the recent inaugural limited overs game. The track wasn't ever going to assist batsmen, however, and Derbyshire soon had their visitors down to 78 for 4. Enter Craig White. If Lumb's innings was watchful, White's was anything but as he quickly amassed a record fifth wicket partnership against Derbyshire with young Lumb before the youngster was caught with the score on 273 - a partnership of some 195 runs. Guy and Gray swiftly followed before Bresnan offered more resistance and pushed Yorkshire up to 339. Sidebottom struggled and was eventually caught for just two before young bowler Steve Kirby played a sensible tailenders innings to add 96 for the last wicket with White still blasting away, ending his day unbeaten on 173. Graeme Welch was the only bowler worth an honourable mention, taking a well deserved 6 for 102.


Derbyshire struggled from the off, only De Venuto of their batsmen offered any positivity to a shambolic innings of just 128, scoring a quick 27 from 21. The middle order toppled under immense pressure from Kirby and Ryan Sidebottom, leaving the hosts 55 for 8 and nothing much to come. Fortune favours the afflicted however and young duo Tom Lungley and Nathan Dumelow managed to add 73 for wicket number nine, Lungley being the anchor (6 runs from 56) and Dumelow the aggressor (60 from 69) hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes before the former fell with Derbyshire on a more respectable 128. Kevin Dean fell to a peach from Sidebottom - who finished with 6 for 38 - and that was that.


Matthew Wood opted to insert Derbyshire once more and attempt to finish off the job in three days. Derbyshire had learnt a few lessons from the day two debacle and attempted to restore some pride, De Venuto scoring a positive 74, overseas batsman, Kaif adding 87 of his own before the tail wagged once more adding 268 for the last six wickets - Graeme Welch adding a fifty to his earlier six wicket haul.


A target of just 67 would never trouble the Yorkshire side and they rattled off the runs in the 21st over without losing a wicket. Fleming outscoring his captain two to one as he finished on 42 not out from his 57 deliveries. Cricketweb's man of the match was Craig White for his valiant 173 not out in the moment of crisis for his then flailing side.



Taunton; Somerset (12 points) drew with Gloucestershire (8 points).


On a splendid pitch, this high scoring contest was always going to struggle to produce a decisive result. The toss was won by the home side who inserted their West Country opposition on the bleakest of four days. The decision was, as likely as not, the right one as they bowled out Gloucestershire for 228 in 62 overs, Aaron Laraman, Nixon McLean, and Lancastrian Michael Burns taking three wickets each - the former proving the most prudent. Craig Spearman and the lively Jonty Rhodes chipped in with half centuries as Gloucestershire attempted to take a positive approach against a weakened Somerset attack - missing Caddick, Johnson and the spin of Ian Blackwell.


The host's reply got off to a similar, scratchy start. The free scoring Jamie Cox scored 69 runs in an innings lasting almost three hours before Ian Harvey - currently the best averaging bowler in the country - delivered him a pearler which was caught by young wicket-keeper Stephen Pope, partaking in only his second county championship game. Somerset looked under some substantive pressure at 136 for five, and the omens were there for a low scoring affair until Aaron Laraman produced a fine, attacking knock of 148 unbeaten - a new personal best - to help his side through to a propitious score of 477. Michael Burns and Nixon McLean once again aiding Laraman - this time with willow - with half centuries to add to their three wickets apiece.


It was the end of day two when Gloucestershire began their second innings 249 runs adrift, so it was easy to believe that Somerset were in the box seat. The pitch, however, had improved vastly from the sweaty track they started day one on and now looked more like a test wicket in Australasia. Minutes into day three saw the guests topple to 41 for two before Rhodes and Matthew Windows consorted with Phil Weston to take them to 315 for four. Weston himself fell not too long after - Aaron Laraman again proving a thorn in Gloucestershire's side - and left Ian Harvey with skipper Mark Alleyne to battle on from 368. Alleyne was trapped LBW for 29 by a Nixon McLean delivery and Martyn Ball was on his way to the middle. Ball recorded 75 - yet another personal best - as he and Harvey steered their side to a commanding 576 for seven. The side eventually declared on 611 leaving a goal of 363 runs and 43 overs in which to get them.


8.5 runs per over is always asking too much when the target is in excess of around a hundred and Somerset duly recognised they only had one course of action; to take a draw. Gloucestershire did manage to prize three wickets from their cautious competitors but the game was inevitably heading for a stalemate as Somerset edged their way to 115 for three. Cricketweb's man of the match goes to Aaron Laraman for his five wickets and personal best of 148 not out.



Northampton; Northamptonshire (18 points) beat Hampshire (3 points) by seven wickets.


It took only three days for Northamptonshire to dispose of struggling Hampshire in a low scoring tussle which incredibly saw no player accumulate more than 46 runs. Hampshire were thundered out for 125 runs. Northants replied with 218 as Dimitri Mascarenhas took 6 for 55 on a rain affected second day. Day three would require no such interruption to prolong matters as the hosts quickly dismantled their southern guests for 179 - Simon Katich and John Francis top scoring with 36 each - leaving a paltry 87 for victory. Despite fierce resistance from young James Tomlinson who took 3 for 37, Northamptonshire were steered to triumph by David Sales and Mark Powell who led the chase with an unbeaten 38 from 59. Cricketweb's man of the match goes to Australian Damien Wright for his 46 and 5 wickets at an economy of just 2.2 per over.



Worcestershire; Worcestershire (18 points) beat Durham (3 points) by 31 runs.


When Worcestershire arrived without Graeme Hick, Vikram Solanki and Anurag Singh to their New Road ground, even lowly Durham must have been anticipating an easier game than they could have otherwise bargained for. When they bowled out the home side for a meagre 218, the task must have seemed all the more comfortable. Worcestershire had other plans, Mark Harrity, Gareth Batty and Matthew Mason, however would provide enough firepower to eradicate any plans their visitants may have had. Harrity and Mason took 7 of the first innings wickets as Durham crumbled to just 120. Ben Smith added 60 to his earlier knock of 73 as Worcestershire battled to 198 despite facing the fastest duo in county cricket with Shoaib Akhtar and Steve Harmison bowling in tandem. Durham were looking quite steady at 195 for four chasing just 102 more runs for victory before the pairing of Batty and Mason destroyed Durham's tail which proved as weak as it was long. They fell an agonizing 31 runs shy, but even worse, only picked up 3 of the 21 points taken from the match leaving them firmly in the bottom three of the division. Cricketweb's man of the match goes to Matt Mason who took nine wickets as well as adding a useful 27 in his second innings.

Posted by Lee