Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire Metro Bank One Day Cup game 3

Derbyshire 341-8 (Whiteley 80, Basra 72, Jewell 60, Chappell 47, Lord 2-76)

Nottinghamshire 214 (Slater 68, Aitchison 4-34, Chappell 3-57, Morley 2-61)

Derbyshire won by 127 runs

When Derbyshire supporters think back on white ball cricket 2025, two performances against Nottinghamshire will be thought of most fondly.

The win in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge was professional and convincing. Today we dismantled them, with a team effort which showed what this team is capable of - and what an infusion of new blood has brought to it. 

When 96-1 became 116-4 in the space of five overs, supporters can have been forgiven for setting their expectation at a score around 230. Came and Jewell batted well, the latter especially so, before Came played an unnecessary shot and was caught. Bin Naeem played some pleasing strokes but went in a similar manner, while Guest, who had looked in good touch, was brilliantly caught down the leg side by Moores. When Jewell played on, frustratingly not turning an excellent start into a definitive innings, the portents were not good. We have we seen such declines become terminal, far too often in the past.

The advent of Amrit Basra changed the momentum of the game. First with Martin Andersson, then Ross Whiteley, he took on the Nottinghamshire attack with stroke play of dazzling brilliance. His hand/eye coordination is exceptional, as is his timing. He was the senior partner in both stands, with players more experienced than he and it was magnificent to watch. He judges line and length so quickly and from being in the ascendancy, the visitors were forced onto the back foot and never again regained a foothold. 

If he hadn't done so already, Basra should today have confirmed a full-time contract for next year. He is a game-changer; he was today,  he will be in the future and players of such ability are rare commodities. The only mistake he made was putting his foot to the floor too early, in the 42nd over, when he could have just carried on as he was for another two or three before really cutting loose.

Yet today it didn't matter. Whiteley took over and partnered by the returning Zak Chappell (how good to see him back!) shared an exhilarating stand of exactly one hundred in 46 balls. Basra's 72 from 55 balls, Whiteley's 80 from 52 and Chappell's 47 from 26 turned the run chase from a sedate walk in the park to something frenetic and it was very much game on, as Derbyshire reached 341-8.

Fours and sixes flowed as the visiting bowlers and fielders buckled under pressure. It was understandable, as the strokeplay and power from all three was magnificent to watch, at least for supporters from the right side of Brian Clough Way...

I was very impressed by Whiteley today. He needs such performances to stake a claim for being around next year, but today he played the perfect hand. He knocked it around sensibly while Basra cut loose, then took over and delivered for his team. A white ball contract for 2026 could yet be his, on this showing.

Nottinghamshire needed a good start from the established pair of Hameed and Slater, but the opening bowlers, 'Aitch and H' were accurate and probing. Hameed went to a sharp catch by Jewell from Aitchison, while Haydon was wicketless but again made a good impression. He bowls accurately and looks like a young man who has worked out his game. Like Basra, he should become a fixture in Mickey's Team, Version Three.

Nottinghamshire were largely up with the required rate but regularly lost wickets, with the home ground fielding far better than that the visitors had displayed earlier. This was expertly martialed by Brooke Guest, who not only changed the bowling cleverly, with no formulaic bowling spells, but held two outstanding catches after departing to the one himself, earlier. 

The first, removing the dangerous Haynes, was a tribute to his footwork, while the second, doing unto Moores as he had himself been done to, was down to his extraordinary agility. It's a pity that Bob Taylor wasn't at the former players day today, as he would undoubtedly have approved of the skipper's glove work throughout. It isn't easy doing both of those things well and Bob himself couldn't manage it, but Brooke was highly impressive today

Slater batted nicely, but was never allowed to cut loose and eventually departed caught and bowled to Morley, who did very well here. So too did Andersson, varying his pace and proving very difficult to get away. Aitchison, who has got better with the white ball as he has got fitter (unsurprisingly) took four well-deserved wickets, with the attack looking far better in this match. Good catches were held and the ground fielding stood strong.

This was a memorable performance and a fully deserved win.

Onwards and upwards, eh?