Dominant Falcons down Vikings at Chesterfield

Alex Thomson took three wickets in an over to put Derbyshire Falcons on course for a crushing seven wicket Vitality Blast victory over Yorkshire Vikings in front of a sell-out crowd at Chesterfield.

Vikings collapsed to 21-5 on a ground where they have now lost their last seven T20 games and although Donovan Ferreira made 44 off 32 balls, they could only manage 130 for nine.

On a two paced pitch, Thomson’s off-spin claimed 3 for 26 and Pakistan pace ace Mohammad Amir took 2 for 23 while skipper Samit Pate conceded only 15 from his four overs.

Falcons made short work of chasing down the target with skipper David Lloyd scoring 50 off 32 balls and Wayne Madsen a composed unbeaten 30 to take the home side to 131 for 3 in 15 overs.

After heavy rain in the morning delayed the start by 30 minutes, Vikings started disastrously losing three wickets to Thomson in the second over.

Dawid Malan sliced the first ball he faced to gully, Adam Lyth drove straight to cover and Shan Masood was stumped after he came down the pitch to play through the offside.

It got even worse for Yorkshire in the next over when Amir pinned James Wharton in front with a yorker to reduce the visitors to 10 for 4

Vikings hopes of setting any sort of competitive score rested with Donovan Ferreira who survived a difficult swirling catch to Lloyd running back from short third man off Zak Chappell when he was on four.

Chappell took a stunning catch in the next over when he plucked the ball one-handed at point to remove George Hill which left the Vikings in danger of falling short of their lowest T20 total of 68 made on the same ground last year.

Ferreira drove and pulled Pat Brown for two fours to take the visitors to 52 for 5 after 10 overs and put a dent in Thomson’s figures by pulling him for the first six of the innings.

That drop was starting to look costly when he mistimed a cut at Luis Reece low to point and although Matt Revis and Jordan Thompson both cleared the ropes in a Madsen over that cost 14, Revis pulled Amir to deep square leg and Dom Bess skied Chappell to mid-wicket.

Thompson pulled Amir for six but Brown conceded only three from the final over to leave Falcons chasing a modest target.

Vikings needed early wickets to have any chance but Masood dropped Aneurin Donald at mid off in the first over from Bess.

Donald put a dent in the target before he drove Revis to mid on and Reece struck two sixes to take Falcons to 50 in the fourth over.

Reece miscued a drive off Ben Cliff to long on but at the end of the powerplay, Falcons were 68 for 2 and well on their way.

Lloyd was intent on finishing it quickly, hitting five fours and a six from the first 13 balls he faced as he cruised to 50 from only 31 deliveries.

Thompson yorked him in the 14th over but by then it was too late and Falcons wrapped up victory with five overs to spare to boost their hopes of making the quarter-finals.

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