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Durham overcome floodlight farce to claim last-eight spot
Derbyshire v Durham (Twenty20 Cup)
FOR the second time this season
Durham were last night caught
up in a floodlit farce at Derby before
emerging victorious to
clinch their place in the Twenty20
quarter-finals.
After losing by one run when
their innings was twice interrupted
by a low sun in the
Friends Provident Trophy tie on
May 2, they gained revenge with
a seven-wicket win completed at
10.40.
Skipper Dale Benkenstein led
them home with an unbeaten 47
after going in at four for two. He
shared an unbroken stand of 93
with Albie Morkel, who brought
up his half-century with a huge
six over long-on off left-arm
spinner Nayan Doshi.
That finished the match with
16 balls to spare and Durham
will go into their final group
game at home to Lancashire tomorrow
two points ahead of the
visitors.
If Lancashire win top spot will
be decided on run-rate, while a
Durham win could open the door
for Yorkshire to sneak second.
Derbyshire were 38 for one
after eight overs when play was
suspended because the batsmen
were blinded by the sun.
With the rules permitting an
hour's extension, after an 85-
minute break it was announced
that the match would be reduced
to 18 overs a side.
Derbyshire finished on 118 for
six and under the
Duckworth/Lewis formula
Durham needed 121 to win when
they started their innings at
9.45.
They made a dreadful start as
both openers were out for
nought to Derbyshire's left-arm
swingers. Michael Di Venuto fell
third ball, chipping Kevin Dean
to mid-off, then Phil Mustard cut
Graham Wagg to backward
point, where Greg Smith held a
juggled catch.
Will Smith made a sprightly
19 before miscuing Dean to longon,
bringing in Morkel in need of
making a contribution.
He has not bowled this week
because of a back problem, and
after dropping a straightforward
catch at third man last night he
let a four through his legs off the
last ball of the innings.
As usual, he began quietly and
when only three came off the
first over bowled by off-spinner
Jake Needham Durham were 66
for three after ten overs.
But Benkenstein's short-arm
pulls whipped Rikki Clarke in
front of square for two fours and
once Needham's second over had
yielded 11 runs the fourth-wicket
pair were coasting.
With ten overs to bat after the
delay, Derbyshire added 15 off
the first three before Durham
brought on 18-year-old leg-spinner
Scott Borthwick, who returned
to the side in place of
Garry Park.
His only over since his dream
debut at Old Trafford had cost 15
against Leicestershire and this
one went for 17, all scored by
home captain Clarke, who hit a
massive six over long-on.
In the next over Gareth Breese
bowled West Indian left-hander
Wavell Hinds. But with Benkenstein
reluctant to risk another
over from Borthwick and only
three bowlers allowed a full fourover
allocation the captain
turned to Ben Harmison.
Left-hander Dan Birch pulled
and drove the first three balls for
four as 15 came off the over, but
Harmison junior was kept on
and conceded only six off the
second over while also having
Clarke caught at deep cover for
36.
In the final over Birch swung
across the line and was bowled
by for 23 by Liam Plunkett, who
also rearranged Jamie Pipe's
timber two balls later.
Benkenstein won the toss for
only the second time in the series
and put Derbyshire in, no
doubt wary of the sun.
Whether or not it was affecting
Greg Smith from the outset
is unknown, but the man who
began the series in blistering
form had scored only 13 in eight
overs when the break came.
The South African thrashed a
rapid 47 in the opening match at
Riverside and followed up with a
century against Yorkshire.
Smith had another very close
shave in the third over last night,
when he failed to get forward to
a straight ball from Shaun Pollock
but survived the lbw appeal.
The South African struck in
his third over, however. After
being baffled by a variety of
balls which even included a slow
bouncer Telo drove at the last
one, an away swinger, and edged
to Mustard.
Steve Harmison and Breese
bowled an over each before the
break and on the resumption
Smith attempted to sweep the
fourth ball and was lbw to
Breese, who had two for 15 in
three overs.
SCORBOARD
Derbyshire v Durham At Derby
Derbyshire Innings
G M Smith lbw b Breese .......................... 13
F D Telo c Mustard b Pollock .................... 16
W W Hinds b Breese .............................. 15
R Clarke c Plunkett b B W Harmison ...... 36
D J Birch b Plunkett ................................ 23
D J Pipe b Plunkett .................................. 2
G G Wagg not out .................................. 1
J L Clare not out .................................... 4
Extras (lb3 w5 pens 0) .................... 8
Total 6 wkts Innings Complete
(18 overs) ......................................118
Fall: 1-25 2-40 3-72 4-105 5-113 6-114
Did Not Bat: K J Dean, J Needham, N D Doshi.
Bowling: Pollock 4-0-20-1. Plunkett 4-0-18-2.
Breese 3-0-15-2. S J Harmison 4-0-24-0. Borthwick
1-0-17-0. B W Harmison 2-0-21-1.
Durham Innings
M J Di Venuto c Wagg b Dean .................. 0
P Mustard c Smith b Wagg ...................... 0
W R Smith c Wagg b Dean ........................ 19
D M Benkenstein not out ........................ 47
J A Morkel not out .................................. 54
Extras (w4 pens 0) .......................... 4
Total 3 wkts (15.2 overs) ..............124
Fall: 1-0 2-4 3-31
Did Not Bat: S M Pollock, B W Harmison, G R
Breese, L E Plunkett, S G Borthwick, S J Harmison.
Bowling: Dean 3-0-22-2. Wagg 2-0-15-1. Doshi
3.2-0-24-0. Hinds 1-0-11-0. Clarke 2-0-15-0.
Needham 2-0-14-0. Clare 2-0-23-0.
Durham beat Derbyshire by 7 wkts.
(D/L Method)
9:08am Thursday 26th June 2008
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