Derbyshire 132-2 (Slater 60 not, Thakor 38)
Lancashire 162-7 (Thakor 3-23, Mendis 2-38)
Lancashire won by three wickets
Although not yet mathematically impossible, Derbyshire's chances of group progress hang by a knife edge after an unfortunately sloppy end to one of those days of cricket hated by most cricket fans.
Stop start days are fairly wretched any time, but on an out ground, where facilities are often limited, there is usually nowhere to go.
Derbyshire built a sound platform for another big score, with Ben 'Mr Consistency' Slater batting beautifully, before the rain allowed no resumption after lunch and the home side were set a target that makes little sense to anyone bar the statisticians.
They got off to a flyer and were pulled back by the spinners and Shiv Thakor. How he ended on the losing side is hard to figure, but while he can be proud of his excellent all round figures, for Hardus Viljoen it was a game to forget.
Notwithstanding his match rustiness, which is slowly coming back, he would have hoped for more than 0-44 in his four overs. With 24 needed from two and Thakor bowling beautifully, most people's money would have been on Derbyshire, but Viljoen conceding 17 from the penultimate over wasn't part of the script and it left only a common sense job in the last.
Sometimes you have to admit that the opposition played well and deserved it and fair play to Lancashire for a fine run chase today.
But from a Derbyshire perspective, notwithstanding Duckworth/Lewis, a slippery outfield when we fielded and an innings that was never allowed to get to the 'business' part, it was a game that we had in our grasp and blew it.
That's the disappointment.
Very poor from Viljoen and Cotton. I know Viljoen is just coming back from injury but his bowling has been poor so far, it's not as though he's a novice as well, plenty of years experience behind him. No way should we have thrown that away with Lancs needing 47 off 4 overs, it should have been defended comfortably, but Derbyshire's frailties show up again.
ReplyDeleteAfter he bowled so poorly in his first three overs, why was he given the ball for the penultimate over? Poor captaincy decision again?
ReplyDeletePoor captaincy by a poor captain.
ReplyDeleteUse a name Anon please.
ReplyDeleteAnd it wasnt. Billy is improving as a skipper and rightly assumed his main bowler and Shiv would close it out. They did in the previous game at the death.
Yesterday Hardus didnt, but that doesnt make it the wrong decision. Just the wrong execution on the day.
After finding such a wonderful way to defeat Warwickshire, it sounds like we imploded late on in the game at the seaside two days later.
ReplyDeleteA dropped catch at third-man, a mis-field that went for four, a collision leading to another boundary..?!
What a great pity and, if I'm honest, a real sense of frustration.
By my rough calculations on the back of a beermat, for sure, we need snookers, but if Durham beat Worcestershire then we're out.