Zak Chappell smashed a List A career best unbeaten 94 to propel Derbyshire to a two wicket victory over Northamptonshire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at Wantage Road.
Chappell came together with his skipper Ross Whiteley with Derbyshire in tatters at 79 for seven chasing 236 to win, but they turned the game on its head with a record eighth wicket partnership of 131 (23.4 overs) for the visitors against any opposition and the 22nd highest in the history of List A cricket worldwide.
Despite Northamptonshire’s teenage pacer Raphy Weatherall sparking the initial collapse and finishing with figures of four for 50 on his List A debut, the momentum was all with Derbyshire as Chappell and Whiteley made hay.
Earlier Emilio Gay (59) and George Bartlett (50) each struck half-centuries in a partnership of 79 in 15 overs. Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus then picked up the mantle and looked set to propel Northamptonshire towards a competitive total during a stand of 69 in exactly 11 overs.
But their departure precipitated a Steelbacks collapse, five wickets falling for 22 in 33 balls. On a day to remember for Chappell, the quick bowler finished with career best bowling figures of 4-39 while all-rounder Samit Patel took 3-41 as the hosts were bowled out for 235 in 47 overs, which looked well below par.
Northamptonshire rued losing two early wickets to poor shots as Chappell made a double breakthrough. He first removed last season’s prolific run scorer Prithvi Shaw, caught in the deep by David Lloyd after he top edged an attempted hook. In Chappell’s next over Ricardo Vasconcelos flashed at one outside off-stump and was caught at cover without scoring.
Gay though was enjoying himself, tucking into the bowling, stroking five boundaries as he drove down the ground and swung hard through midwicket.
While an inswinging yorker from Luis Reece accounted for Rob Keogh’s leg stump, Bartlett was soon into his work. He opened his account with a textbook cover drive, followed by another boundary through midwicket before powering Patel over his head.
Gay brought up his half-century by smiting Reece over mid-off (68 balls), but when he came down the wicket to Patel, he was smartly stumped by keeper Brooke Guest.
Next over Bartlett, who had posted his own half-century (57 deliveries), pulled Harry Moore straight to Lloyd who took another well-judged boundary catch – a deserved wicket for a good spell of bowling.
McManus showed early intent, muscling a short ball from Conners through midwicket but gained a reprieve when Lloyd failed to hold onto a more straightforward boundary catch.
Zaib announced himself by going down on one knee to flick Reece over fine leg for six. He put away a slow ball beamer from Reece for four and then swept the free hit for another maximum before gaining a life when Patel put down a chance at fine leg.
Derbyshire broke through when McManus was bowled playing back to Patel for 25 and Zaib was caught behind off Chappell, attempting to run the ball down to third.
Wickets tumbled as Patel trapped Ben Sanderson LBW and Gus Miller was brilliantly run out by Mitch Wagstaff attempting a risky single. Chappell then comprehensively bowled Jack White to wrap up the innings.
In Derbyshire’s run chase, Harry Came made 21, but his stay was soon ended by Sanderson, bowled off the inside edge.
Reece greeted Weatherall by pulling him behind square for four, but Northamptonshire built pressure and after nine dot balls, Guest prodded at one from Weatherall, Shaw taking an excellent diving catch at first slip.
Weatherall struck again in his next over, this time having Reece caught off the leading edge by Miller at backward point.
Next over White, who was finding significant movement, was into the action having Matt Lamb caught behind. Weatherall struck again three balls later when Patel pulled him straight to Gay at fine leg.
Lloyd carved Miller square for four as he and Whiteley sought to rebuild. The pair put on 33 for the sixth wicket before spinner Keogh found some drift to trap Lloyd LBW for a run-a-ball 21, Derbyshire ending the 20th over in disarray on 78 for six. Three balls later they were seven wickets down when Wagstaff edged Sanderson to Shaw at slip.
That though brought Whiteley and Chappell together, who profited when Northamptonshire introduced the slower bowlers, despite the seamers extracting plenty of movement and Derbyshire started the final 10 overs needing a comfortable 53 to win.
Whiteley hit Keogh through extra cover before taking a boundary off Zaib to reach his 50 off 78 deliveries.
In a display of power hitting, Chappell punched Weatherall through the onside and pulled him high over midwicket. He smashed Zaib down the ground and went to 50 off 48 balls before crunching Keogh through midwicket to pass his previous highest score. When White was unable to hang onto a diving catch in the deep off Weatherall, Chappell responded by smashing the teenager down the ground for consecutive boundaries.
Weatherall finally broke the partnership, Whiteley playing an unnecessary big shot and Gay taking a well-judged catch on the boundary. But with only 26 still needed in six overs and Chappell still there, Derbyshire sealed the win with eight balls to spare.
Player of the Match Chappell said: “I said before I went out, if we can build a partnership, with a score of 235, you’re only ever one partnership away. I obviously know that Ross has got time and he bats well and I thought if I could survive with him and we bat to 45, 50 overs, we would win the game. And the big if was not losing wickets, so went out with a mindset of just playing normal shots and batting for 20 overs and seeing where we were.
“My left hammy isn’t brilliant, nor is my right achilles, but that’s just sport, isn’t it. My drugs wore off with an hour to go, so that was part of the problem. But all good. I’ll be fine for the next game.
“We took it two overs at a time in the partnership and just keep watching that [total] tumble a little bit each over.
“I felt like I bowled well. I haven’t played a 50 over game in a couple of years, so I couldn’t really remember what my figures were. It was just nice to bowl well and then I just knew if we batted 50 overs we’d win the game.
[On the record-breaking partnership – did it feel remarkable in the middle?] “Maybe, but then how many teams lose seven wickets so quickly and then have the opportunity? But yeah, it was a good partnership and I’m buzzing for the boys.
[On the importance of starting the tournament with a win after a disappointing T20 competition] “If you can win tight games, then you take a lot of momentum, you build a lot of confidence because winning is a habit. And I was devastated about the T20. I was devastated not to play and I was devastated we didn’t finish it. So it was nice to start with a win and hopefully keep building from here.”
