Derbyshire defeat Nottinghamshire on final day

Fynn Hudson-Prentice led the way with an unbeaten 91 as Derbyshire secured a thrilling last-over win against Nottinghamshire in their Bob Willis Trophy opener at Trent Bridge. 

The all-rounder batted for 169 balls to guide his team to victory, with Billy Godleman (86), Wayne Madsen (43) and Michel Cohen (30 not out) all making vital contributions in the three-wicket victory.

In chasing down 365, Derbyshire broke the club record for a fourth-innings run chase against a first-class county, as well as securing 20 points in the Bob Willis Trophy North Group.

Having put on 96 runs for the first wicket on Day Three, the partnership of Godleman and Madsen took their stand into three-figures when the former cracked the first boundary of the day through the off-side.

The Derbyshire captain looked in good touch, but he fell for 86 when Joey Evison trapped him lbw, shortly before the bowler left the field after pulling up during a run up.

Madsen continued, and with the boundary that took him beyond a score of 36, he passed 12,000 career first-class runs, although Leus du Plooy was not able to add more than seven to his own record before he was pinned lbw by Steven Mullaney.

Madsen’s watchful vigil kept going until the lunch break, but he fell to Jake Ball shortly after the interval, the third Derbyshire batsman to fall lbw on the final afternoon.

Harvey Hosein arrived at the crease, but he was bowled by Ball for three, which saw Matt Critchley and Fynn Hudson-Prentice begin a lengthy seventh-wicket partnership.

The pair added 42 from 115 balls before Critchley was dismissed for 35, stumped by Tom Moores off the bowling of Samit Patel, while Mattie McKiernan added a patient 20 before he was bowled by Ball.

Hudson-Prentice reached his half-century in 120 balls, including seven fours, but Derbyshire still needed 66 to win from 12 overs when Cohen arrived at the crease, on his 22nd birthday.

The pair played positively and whittled the required total down to less than a run a ball, with Patel and Ball unable to dislodge either man as they closed in on victory.

With one over to go, Derbyshire still needed five runs, and a dot ball off the first delivery did little to ease the tension. However, after sharing three singles, Cohen flicked a ball into the on-side and ran two, to ensure that he was not the only one associated with Derbyshire to be celebrating this evening.

Derbyshire move up to second in the North Group table, and turn their attention to the clash with table-toppers Leicestershire at The Fischer County Ground, starting on Saturday.

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Together, We Are All Derbyshire. Four-day cricket has returned you can follow all five of Derbyshire’s Bob Willis Trophy matches live on our match centre at derbyshireccc.com.