Du Plessis ton fires Lancashire
Francois Du Plessis propels Lancashire to a daunting 296 for eight at Derby courtesy of a splendid century off just 76 balls
Lancashire booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Provident Trophy thanks to a crushing 114-run victory over Derbyshire under the Duckworth-Lewis method in the floodlit Group D match at Derby.
Francois Du Plessis scored his first century for Lancashire - a brilliant 112 off only 86 balls - and, although Greg Smith took a career-best 4-53, a total of 296 for eight - revised to 290 from 48 overs - proved too much for the Phantoms.
Derbyshire skipper Chris Rogers responded with 68 from 72 balls but Gary Keedy claimed 4-43 as they were dismissed for 175 inside 39 overs. Derbyshire now need to win their last three games to have any chance of making the last eight.
The game started well enough for the Phantoms when Rogers won the toss and saw Graham Wagg remove Paul Horton and Ashwell Prince cheaply, but Du Plessis batted superbly to put his side on course for a formidable total.
The South African timed the ball sweetly, particularly through the leg side, to race to a century, which contained 12 fours, off only 76 balls. With opener Tom Smith, he added 95 in 16 overs.
When they took the Lightning to 161 for two in the 30th over, a total of over 300 was possible, but Smith's run-out for 59 allowed the hosts to exert a measure of control.
The off-spin of Greg Smith and Garry Park’s medium-pace applied the brakes, with Steven Croft and former Derbyshire captain Luke Sutton falling in successive overs.
Gary Keedy catches Chris Rogers off his own bowling, the first of his four wickets as Lancashire cruised home
Kyle Hogg and Du Plessis put the innings back on course with a sixth-wicket stand of 49 in seven overs, but Smith had both caught in the deep off successive balls to reduce the visitors to 238 for seven.
At that point, Lancashire were in danger of falling away, but Mark Chilton, who had retired hurt on three with a bruised right elbow, returned to supervise a late flourish.
He hit Wagg for three consecutive fours and Sajid Mahmood drove Smith for the only six of the innings as 53 came from the last six overs.
Lancashire allowed Derbyshire to get off to a flyer by bowling too short, with Rogers and Smith taking advantage before Hogg nipped one back to trap Smith lbw for 16.
Former Lancashire batsman Stuart Law, on four, miscued a pull to mid-on off Smith, but Rogers pulled and cut superbly in only his second innings of the season following a visa delay and went to a 58-ball fifty containing 10 fours.
After 20 overs Derbyshire were 98 for two but their hopes were dealt a major blow when Rogers’ leading edge provided left-arm spinner Keedy with a simple return catch.
Rain stopped play briefly, reducing Derbyshire’s target by seven runs and two overs, but Keedy quickly snared Wavell Hinds and Dan Redfern and, although Wagg drove him for a huge straight six, the hosts fell well short.
