Wayne Madsen century proves sufficient as Derbyshire edge a two-run thriller

Derbyshire 189 for five (Madsen 109*) beat Leicestershire 187 for five (Ackermann 59*) by two runs

The 39-year-old’s sensible 61-ball innings, which contained 12 fours and 4 sixes, was his third hundred within the T20 format and his second in consecutive seasons after he made 100 not out towards Durham final season.

It helped the Falcons submit 189 for 5 after being put in, Tom Wood making 37 from 24 balls and Brooke Guest 25 from 20, spinners Rehan Ahmed (2 for 20), Callum Parkinson (2 for 36) and Colin Ackermann (1 for 16) sharing the wickets for the Foxes.

Left-arm spinner Parkinson dismissed each openers in his first two overs, Luis Reece leg earlier than and Haider Ali bowled, each trying to brush, but it was the Falcons, at 52 for 2, who got here out of the powerplay on prime after being put in, regardless of the return to the Foxes assault of Naveen ul-Haq after his profitable stint within the Indian Premier League.

Madsen’s timing was immaculate as he dispatched Ahmed, Will Davis and Parkinson in flip for sixes out of the center of the bat earlier than cleverly reverse-sweeping Ahmed for 4 to deliver up a 29-ball half-century – his fourth in as many innings this season – because the Falcons reached midway at 96 for 2.

Wood, after his unsure begin, was starting to seek out his vary when the Foxes eventually managed to stem the move, Wood reaching for one outdoors off stump and unable to regulate his shot, Sol Budinger pouching the catch at deep level.

That ended a 95-run partnership for the third wicket, after which the Falcons suffered a wobble as Ahmed struck twice within the house of 5 deliveries, having Leus Du Plooy caught behind down the legside for a second-ball duck earlier than Anuj Dal fell leg earlier than to the googly, 117 for 2 changed by 120 for 5 on the scoreboard.

None of his colleagues may match Ahmed’s economic system on an evening when the Foxes had been sloppy within the area. Naveen conceded 23 off his remaining two overs because the final 4 of the innings noticed the Falcons’ complete swell by 50 runs, Madsen lifting Davis over deep midwicket for his fourth six earlier than driving Naveen by the covers to achieve his hundred from 56 balls.

After a gradual begin to their reply wherein Budinger lobbed tamely to mid-on as Zak Chappell claimed a wicket towards his former county, the Foxes discovered some momentum within the second half of the powerplay to be 48 for one as Patel and Nick Welch started to seek out common boundaries.

They misplaced Welch when the opener clipped a ball from left-armer into the palms of deep sq. leg and Patel had an escape on 33 when Zaman Khan spilled an opportunity on the legside off Du Plooy, however skipper Ackermann was into his stride with two fours and a six off George Scrimshaw as the house aspect reached 90 for 2 from 10.

Patel’s second six, launched over long-on off Mark Watt, and two reserve sweeps for 4 by Ackermann off Wood stored the scoreboard transferring properly however after Patel holed out off Watt’s left-arm aiming for one more most the required price was above 10. Wiaan Mulder skinny edged behind off Chappell and the Foxes wanted 55 from the final 5 overs.

Lilley fell for 3, slashing Scrimshaw to deep backward level, however Ahmed uppercut his first ball for six to maintain the Foxes and after a usually tidy over from Khan stretched the goal to 39 from 18 balls, the sixth-wicket pair innovated properly and ran effectively between the wickets to depart the Foxes needing 14 off the final over and put the stress on Scrimshaw, who conceded a boundary to Ahmed from his first ball however the tall seamer held his nerve to keep away from conceding one other and the Falcons prevailed by two runs.