Derbyshire v Northamptonshire T20

Northamptonshire 141-8 (Vasconcelos 38, White 37, McKerr 2-23)

Derbyshire 143-5 (du Plooy 48*, Critchley 44)

Derbyshire won by 5 wickets

There was a welcome victory in the T20 for Derbyshire tonight, a five-wicket one that was not without alarms, but was in the end achieved with ten balls to spare.

One would have to qualify euphoria by saying it was a very ordinary Northamptonshire side, but at any time you can only beat what is in front of you and mission was duly accomplished.

For me the biggest thing today was the announcement of the injury list and the likely period of absence of those on it. Why wasn't this done before? Why didn't we say, in signing Conor McKerr, that we were running out of bowlers? People would then have understood a little more. Some will say otherwise, but supporters and members have a right to know what is going on.

The list confirmed we won't see much of Wayne Madsen and Alex Hughes, both out for weeks, but with nine players on it, including Tom Wood now, there aren't many options available.

We bowled well tonight, much better. George Scrimshaw especially, returning the 5th most economical T20 figures ever for the county with 4-0-13-1. He bowled quickly and accurately, although I think the skipper got the bowlers wrong at the end as Tom Taylor and Graeme White made the score respectable. Van Beek wasn't brought back after two good early overs (albeit starting with two wides) and McKerr didn't finish a much improved spell either, but 141 was at least something to bowl at for the visitors, who recovered from 81-7 in the fourteenth. 

Our early batting in reply was odd. There was no need for extravagance, but Came went to ramp a straight, full pitched ball and was bowled. Then Godleman played a straighr drive for four and another for six, looking more like the player we know, before he called for a crazy run and was rightly sent back by Reece. When Luis smacked a short ball to mid wicket soon afterwards, we were in trouble at 47-3.

Thankfully du Plooy has found the middle of his bat and combined watchful defence and good running with audacious flicks for six. One drive aptly soared from his bat into the Demolition Stand, while Critchley matched him, though lucky with a couple that just fell short of catches. They put on 81 in 11 overs and the game was largely over when Critchley steeped a catch to Parnell from the bowling of Tom Taylor.

There was time for another madcap runout, this time Hudson-Prentice, before Guest saw it through with du Plooy, the latter winning the game with another flicked six over the keeper

Points on the board, at least. I feel I should mention Guest, who has kept really well in this tournament, held some fine catches and stopped some wayward stuff. Had Ben McDermott stayed he may not have been in the team, so fair play to him in seizing his chance when it came.

Next up Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge tomorrow night, then Yorkshire at Headingley on Sunday.

I suspect they may be tougher games than this one, but we did what we had to do tonight.