Sun blinds Derbyshire hopes

2 June 2006

Jason Gallian during his innings of 91 against Derbyshire © Getty Images

Derbyshire missed out on the chance to go top of the C&G Trophy’s North Conference when neighbours Nottinghamshire beat them by 56 runs at Derby.

The home side were dismissed for 194 chasing a Notts total of 250 for six after the low sun had stopped play for an hour in a floodlit game.

Derbyshire were 95-3 from 20 overs when the delay came but they fell away after the break, against the off-spin of Graeme Swann who took 3-35 from 10 overs.

Travis Birt made 70 from 79 balls but Swann dismissed him and skipper Graeme Welch with consecutive balls in a pivotal 30th over.

Notts had threatened to set Derbyshire a more demanding target after Jason Gallian and Will Smith shared an opening stand of 139 in 32 overs but the batsmen got bogged down once the spinners came on.

Ant Botha and Andy Gray bowled intelligently to build up pressure which told as four wickets fell to catches in the deep.

Smith was superbly caught by Botha running and diving at wide long on for 73 from 100 balls and skipper Stephen Fleming failed to clear long on when he lofted Botha down the ground.

David Hussey made only one before he clipped high to deep midwicket and Gallian's 122 ball innings ended when he drilled Botha to long on.

Samit Patel took some of the gloss from Botha's figures by taking 14 from his 10th over but the spinners had conceded only 96 from their combined 19 overs.

Patel fell for 26 trying to drive Ian Hunter and when Mark Ealham hoisted the fast bowler to long off, Notts were in danger of falling short of a competitive score on a good pitch.

But Chris Read took 14 from the next over from Steffan Jones and his unbeaten 33 from 21 balls provided late momentum which increased when Charlie Shreck trapped
Michael Di Venuto lbw first ball.

Former Derbyshire seamer Andrew Harris had James Pipe and Steve Stubbings caught behind to reduce them to 55-3 but Birt and Chris Taylor shared a half century stand before Swann struck.

Taylor was bowled on the walk, Birt played across the line and Welch was lbw to have Derbyshire reeling at 135-6, leaving the lower order with too much to do and 27 balls remained when Notts completed victory.