Derbyshire v Sussex Metro Bank One Day Cup

Derbyshire 325-7 (Madsen 104*, Came 43, Andersson 39, Montgomery 36, Whiteley 33, Crocombe 3-44)

Sussex 137 (Leaning 25, Morley 5-28, Potts 2-21, Andersson 2-24)

Derbyshire won by 188 runs

Fair play to Derbyshire today, in another fine example in the occasional series of 'beating what is in front of you in fine style'.

As expected, they disposed of Sussex by 188 runs at the Our Co-op County Ground, doing wonders for their Net Run Rate in the process. It wasn't that much of a contest, despite the presence in the Sussex ranks of Messrs Leaning, Robinson and Crocombe, because the inexperience of their team mates was too great a counterbalance.

I didn't see much of the Derbyshire innings, but there was a more balanced look to the lineup with the return of Matthew Montgomery and they duly racked up 325-7. I reached my hotel room in time to see Wayne Madsen make his latest century in county colours and each time he does so I wonder how many more the old maestro has in his locker. I will leave you to fill in any individual blanks, including Ross Whiteley's 30 from an over of the unfortunate Troy Henry.

The visitors reply was something of a procession and they never threatened to get close to the required total. Harry Came kept changing position in the field and they kept finding him and after Nick Potts again reinforced his growing value to the side, Jack Morley took five wickets for 28 runs, the best figures in One-Day cricket by a Derbyshire spinner against another county (courtesy David Griffin).

It was all over with 19 overs to spare, early enough to give the visitors an early start on their way home and, for the younger players, a good chance of being home before their curfew..

Afterwards I watched a little of a match in the other competition, between a team in red and another in blue. I could have looked up who they were, but it didn't mean enough to warrant doing so. There was plenty of swishing, smearing, gratuitous crowd shots and as little finesse as both teams could muster. Before long I had switched over to Celebrity Escape to the Country.

I didn't know who they were, either.

Ah well, Scarborough on Friday and what should be a better test for Derbyshire. Yorkshire were soundly beaten by Middlesex today and those two sides, with Durham, still look the strongest in the group.

Derbyshire will take the win and hope to build momentum and confidence as a consequence.

We will see.

Postscript: meanwhile in Port of Spain, Mohammad Abbas was left out of the Pakistan side against the West Indies 'because of the conditions'. This despite taking eight wickets in the first Test match.

I don't think I will ever understand the rationale of Pakistan selection. I'm not even sure there is one...