Twenty20 - 19 June 2003

Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire, Derby

Nottinghamshire were thrashed by local rivals Derbyshire at Derby today, recording the lowest total so far in the competition.

Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to bat, a decision which looked quite sound when the visitors were rattling along at better than a run a ball on 36 for the loss of Jason Gallian. Then a second run out, that of Guy Welton, seemed to knock the stuffing out of them.

Enter Tom Lungley into proceedings, and in the space of his four overs the game was just about ended as a contest. Lungley bowled the most economical spell of the competition so far, conceding just 13 runs but more significant for Notts, he ripped out four batsmen.

With Cork also miserly, Nottinghamshire recorded just six boundaries as their innings quietly expired for just 94 in the final over with Nathan Dumelow picking up a brace of wickets.

Derbyshire set about the formality of knocking off the runs at a gallop, with Cork and di Venuto slamming boundaries all round the wicket in a six over half-century blitz.

When Cork went, there was the small matter of Mohammed Kaif to take his place. Nottinghamshire's bowlers were profligate, conceding 24 extras in the 11 overs it took for the home side to wrap up the proceedings as di Venuto finished undefeated on 35.

Derbyshire 95-1 (di Venuto 35*, Cork 25)
beat
Nottinghamshire 94 (Afzaal 17, Lungley 4-13, Dumelow 2-5)
by 9 wickets

Man of the Match Tom Lungley (Derbyshire)


Lancashire v Yorkshire, Old Trafford

This season's only Roses battle, played out in front of over 14,000 enthusiastic spectators, ended in a comprehensive victory for the home side.

Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat, but for a long while it seemed as though their players had forgotten what to do with one. With opening bowlers Glen Chapple and Peter Martin rampant, the White Rose county were reduced firstly to 2-3 and later 28-5.

All thoughts of setting a big total had gone out of the window by the time Richard Blakey had battled his way to a fine 32, seventh out on 79. Earlier, Yuvraj Singh had hit three glorious boundaries before he departed in bizarre fashion, caught on the rebound by Carl Hooper.

At the end of their 20 overs, Yorkshire had barely managed to limp past 100, whilst for Lancashire, Chapple had bagged the remarkable figures of 2-13 with Martin the chief wicket-taker on 3-20.

Mal Loye and Stuart Law laid the foundations for Lancashire's easy victory with a brutal opening partnership which added 62 in less than seven overs. Boundaries were Yorkshire's problem - or rather, preventing them.

One Ryan Sidebottom over was smashed for five fours by Law, but it was Loye who took the plaudits, clubbing three massive sixes. The last one would have brought knowing nods of approval from many a cricketing village blacksmith as a mighty heave over 'cowshot corner' took one bounce in the top of the stand before leaving Old Trafford altogether.

Tim Bresnan deserves special mention - the Pontefract teenager bowled his four overs with aplomb, deservedly picking up the wickets of both Loye and Law at a cost of just 24 runs.

In the end, Lancashire won at a canter, the winning leg byes coming with almost seven overs in hand.

Lancashire 104-3 (Loye 45, Law 29, Bresnan 2-24)
beat
Yorkshire 102-8 (Blakey 32, Martin 3-20, Chapple 2-13)
by 7 wickets

Man of the match Mal Loye (Lancashire)


Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire, Bristol

Ian Harvey produced a splendid all-round performance to ease favourites Gloucestershire to victory in a tense and hard-fought contest at the County Ground, Bristol, today.

Gloucestershire won the toss and duly inserted the visitors who got off to a steady start in the first six overs, losing just Jeff Cook early on. Skipper Mike Hussey then played one of the more remarkably subdued innings of the tournament, content to just nudge the singles whilst his partners played the more extravagent shots.

Harvey did the damage, picking up three wickets including that of Hussey, who failed to find the fence once in an innings of 32. It was left to Ben Phillips to provide the acceleration at the death with three fours and a six in a bright and breezy 29 to carry Northants on to 128-5.

If Harvey with the ball was a thorn in Northamptonshire's side, with the bat he was a pain in the neck, crashing seven boundaries in his 41 from just 27 balls. Harvey shared an opening partnership of 60 with Craig Spearman, but when their partnership was broken, the home side seemed to lose their way for a while.

Jason Brown nipped a couple out with his gentle off-breaks to leave the home side vulnerable at 89-5, But Alex Gidman and Mark Alleyne, both undefeated on 21, saw Gloucestershire safely home with just three balls to spare.

Gloucestershire 129-5 (Harvey 41, Spearman 24, Brown 2-18)
beat
Northamptonshire 128-5 (Hussey 32, Phillips 29*, Harvey 3-28)
by 5 wickets

Man of the MatchIan Harvey (Gloucestershire)


Middlesex v Kent, Richmond

Middlesex captain Andy Strauss put the Kent attack to the sword today, crashing his way to 60 from just 37 balls to pave the way for the home side's first victory of the competition.

Middlesex won the toss and inserted Kent, but must have expected the worst as Andrew Symonds flayed three successive boundaries before being caught at the wicket.
Kent continued to score runs at a rapid rate, going past 40 in the fourth over but gradually Middlesex began to put a brake on the run fiesta with Ashley Noffke (3-29) and Simon Cook (2-23) bowling particularly well.

James Tredwell made 34, then a rapid 35 from Matthew Walker helped the visitors on to a testing 161-8.

Middlesex set about their task post-haste, with Paul Weekes and Andy Strauss blasting 77 in a hectic opening stand before Tredwell accounted for Weekes.

Chad Keegan made 23 in just 11 balls including a six inadvertantly carried over the boundary by Greg Blewett, but it was Owais Shah who iced the cake for the home side.

Andrew Symonds whirled away for the visitors, picking up both Strauss and Keegan, but Shah bludgeoned Middlesex over the finishing line with almost three overs to spare, cracking three boundaries and two mighty sixes in an unbeaten 27-ball 40.

Middlesex 165-3 (Strauss 60, Shah 40*, Symonds 2-35)
beat
Kent 161-8 (Walker 35, Tredwell 34, Noffke 3-29, Cook 2-23)
by 7 wickets

Man of the Match Andy Strauss (Middlesex)


Posted by Eddie