Gale stars as Yorkshire cruise
Andrew Gale ht an unbeaten 79 to hurry Yorkshire to a comfortable win with almost four overs to spare
Yorkshire revived their Twenty20 Cup hopes with a crushing eight-wicket victory over Derbyshire in front of a 4,000-plus crowd at Chesterfield.
The Carnegie bowlers restricted the Phantoms to 131 for six before an unbeaten 79 off 59 balls from opener Andrew Gale sealed Yorkshire's second victory in the North Group.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Deon Kruis took two wickets apiece and, although skipper Anthony McGrath went cheaply, Yorkshire cruised home with 23 balls to spare.
Derbyshire were kept in check on a slow pitch by a disciplined bowling and fielding display by Yorkshire, who did not bowl a wide or a no-ball.
Only four overs went for double figures and, despite Wavell Hinds and Stuart Law adding 56 in six overs, they were never allowed to break free.
Yorkshire’s seamers maintained a demanding line and length and the Phantoms unable to find their rhythm after skipper Chris Rogers miscued a pull off Kruis in the third over.
Greg Smith lifted England seamer Tim Bresnan for the only six of the innings but was bowled aiming another big drive at McGrath, and at the halfway stage Derbyshire were only 50 for three.
Law responded by taking two leg-side boundaries off Ajmal Shahzad but the Australian was fooled by a Rana slow ball to be caught at midwicket.
Hinds made a run-a-ball 43 only to slice Bresnan to backward point in the penultimate over and, although 10 came from Rana's last over, Derbyshire’s total always looked under par.
Graham Wagg opened with a maiden but Tom Lungley's first over cost 16 and the visitors were never under pressure despite McGrath driving Tim Groenewald low to mid-off.
Gale hit Groenewald for a straight six and then pulled Lungley into the crowd at midwicket on his way to a 38-ball half century which also included five fours.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan played the supporting role in a stand of 78 in 10 overs until he was bowled making room to cut former Yorkshire spinner Mark Lawson, but by then the contest was over.
Rana launched his first ball over the pavilion and wrapped up victory in style with another six to condemn Derbyshire to a second consecutive defeat.
