Derbyshire fall to Warwickshire defeat

Derbyshire were beaten by eight wickets in the Royal London Cup game against Warwickshire at The Incora County Ground. 

Ed Pollock’s maiden List A century helped Warwickshire to chase down a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 205 in a match reduced to 42 overs by rain with Pollock unbeaten on 103 off 115 balls out of 207-2.

Rob Yates made 60 after Derbyshire were restricted to 200 for 9 by the spin of 17-year-old Jacob Bethell who took 3 for 32 while former Yorkshire bowler Karl Carver claimed 2-35.

Finn Hudson-Prentice made an unbeaten 51 and Harry Came scored 45 but Derbyshire fell well short of a challenging total.

Derbyshire were heading for a bigger score after Came and Tom Wood put on 87 in 17 overs against an attack missing 11 bowlers through injury and call-ups to the Hundred.

But Wood’s dismissal, bowled by one that skidded on from Bethell, saw Derbyshire slip to 176 for 7 in the 40th over.

Came was caught behind cutting at Carver, signed on a three week contract the previous evening, and Alex Hughes went the same way when he made room against Bethell.

Anuj Dal drove Bethell to extra cover and Nils Priestley failed to clear long on which left Hudson-Prentice to get Derbyshire up to 200.

He glanced the final ball of the innings for his fourth four to reach 50  but Derbyshire needed early wickets to have a chance of defending a below par score.

They should have removed Yates on two in the third over but an edge off Ravi Rampaul went through the hands of Ben Aitchison at slip.

Yates and Pollock took 63 from the first powerplay and with no need to take risks, the pair passed 100 in the 18th over.

Derbyshire broke the stand in the 24th over when Yates was bowled making room to cut Woods but it was not enough to change the course of the game.

Will Rhodes drove Woods for six and when Rampaul was brought back, Pollock pulled the West Indian for six and four off consecutive balls.

Rhodes was caught behind off Hudson-Prentice but Pollock struck the winning boundary with five overs to spare.

A minute’s silence was held before the game in memory of former Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and England seamer Mike Hendrick who has died aged 72.