Vitality Blast t20 Derbyshire v Yorkshire

Derbyshire CCC-Falcons v Yorkshire CCC-Vikings at July 30th

FOR the first time in their history Derbyshire Falcons have beaten Yorkshire Vikings four consecutive times in a competition to keep their Vitality Blast T20 hopes alive.

After losing their first four matches  they have now won four in a row and their margin of victory by 77 runs is their biggest margin in T20 cricket. Calum Ferguson said: “It’s not how you start  but how you finnish.  A couple of the early games which we lost were pretty close. We are now taking each game by game.  We are trying to improve in every game.  It’s nice to get victory in front of an away crowd.”

Wayne Madsen top scored with 66 as the Falcons reached 179 for seven  in a match reduced to 17 overs a side because of a torrential rain storm two hours before the scheduled start prevented the game from starting till 7.30.

Madsen came in at the fall of the Falcons second wicket when Calum  Macleod flicked Jordan Thompson off his legs looking for a six over deep mid wicket but found Azeem Rafiq on the boundary edge.  With Pakistan pace Wahab Riaz promoted up the order to number three  they added 66 in seven overs.

Despite the loss of Macleod the runs still came easily for the Falcons. Madsen guided Azeem Rafiq into the West stand for a huge six.  In the next over he dug out a yorker from Steven Patterson that ran to the fine leg boundary. Wahab and Madsen added 48 in five overs for the third wicket. Their partnership was broken when Wahab, who hit his highest score for the Falcons, drilled Azeem Rafiq to David Willey on the long on boundary. 

With the possibility of the Falcons reaching 200 in their 17 looking  on the cards  with Madsen at the crease but in the 14th over they lost the vital wickets of Madsen and Hardus Viljoen within three balls  and they only scored one run. 

First to go was Viljoen who became 21 year old  Thompson’ second victim rather unluckily when Viljoen hooked him to Patterson at short fine leg. Two balls later Thompson got his third wicket when Madsen smashed him to Adam Lyth on the long on boundary.  Thompson was in the action again in the next over when he caught Saturday’s man of the match Matt  Critchley off  Azeem Rafiq at long off.

The Falcons couldn’t have got off to a worse start when for the first time in three matches opener Billy  Godleman was dismissed when he had a big heave at the first ball off the match from Willey and was bowled.

A torrential rain two hours  before the scheduled start meant that play didn’t start until 7.30 and the match was reduced to 17 overs a side.  The Vikings won the toss and put the Falcons into bat.

The Falcons dismissed the Vikings or 102 in 14 overs with three bowlers getting three wickets each. Alex Hughes three wickets cost him  12 runs, Ferguson took three wickets for 21 and Viljoen got three for 32.

Ferguson said: “It was important for our bowlers to do well after our batsmen had done so well.  We thought that  10 an over was a par score on this wicket and we’ve got four quick bowlers. It was pleasing to get this result.”

The Vikings lost their first wicket when Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who hit Ravi  Rampaul’s first ball out of the ground, tried to  drive Ferguson but only edged it to stumper Gary Wilson.  His opening partner Lyth raced to 21 when he hooked a slow bouncer from Ferguson to Godleman on the square leg boundary. Ferguson added: “It was nice to get Lyth out early on because he’s a quality player.” In the next over Kane Williamson drilled Hughes into the covers where Macleod took great catch diving to his right.

Ferguson got his third wicket when Ballance walked across his stumps and scooped him over his shoulder where Viljoen at short fine leg took an easy catch.

Viljoen had an eventful third over.  He was twice hit for sixes by Brook, had him dropped at deep extra cover and finished the over by having him caught behind. The Vikings then lost three wickets for nine runs in 10 balls.  First  Willey top edged a pull of Wahab and found Macleod on the long on boundary.  Then Tim Bresnan pushed forward at Hughes edged him to Wilson.  Two balls later Hughes got his third wicket when he bowled Thompson.

In the next over Viljoen took two more wickets bowling Tattersall and Patterson. Ferguson said: “It was nice to see Viljoen clean up the tail.”

The Vikings made two changes from the side that lost to the Falcons on Saturday, Jordan Thompson replaced Adil Rashid and Harry Brook  came in for Liam Plunkett while the Falcons were unchanged.