Wood ton units up file whole to maintain Derbyshire quarter-final hopes alive
Derbyshire 231 for 4 (Wood 110*, Came 56) beat Leicestershire 160 for 9 (Handscomb 61, Zaman 3-27) by 71 runs
An explosive maiden T20 century by Tom Wood fired Derbyshire Falcons to a 71-run win over Leicestershire Foxes at Derby and stored alive their Vitality Blast hopes.
Wood smashed an unbeaten 110 which included 12 fours and 4 sixes off 57 balls because the Falcons posted 231 for 4, their highest whole in T20 cricket.
Harry Came with 56 off 36 balls shared a gap stand with Wood of 148 from 81 balls, one other Derbyshire file within the competitors, earlier than late cameos from Leus du Plooy and Haider Ali piled on the distress for the Foxes.
Peter Handscomb replied with 61 from 43 balls however the Foxes got here up properly quick on 160 for 9 with Zaman Khan taking 3 for 27 to depart the Falcons needing to beat Worcestershire within the final sport on Sunday to have an opportunity of constructing the quarter-finals.
Derbyshire started sedately, failing to seek out the ropes within the first three overs, however Wood served up a style of what was to come back by hitting Ed Barnes for 2 boundaries within the fourth earlier than launching into Michael Finan. He pulled the tempo bowler for the primary six of the innings and swatted three extra fours to take 19 from the over and raise the Falcons to 55 on the finish of the powerplay.
When Barnes, who injured his proper hand stopping a drive from Wood, returned on the Racecourse finish, Came ramped him over third man for six earlier than a misfield gave Woods his seventh 4 and his 50 which got here off 28 balls.
The Foxes had been struggling to stem the run stream and Woods hoisted Colin Ackermann excessive over long-off for his second six to take the Falcons to 100 with out loss on the midway stage.
Louis Kimber’s first ball in T20 cricket was dispatched over long-off for six by Wood who pulled the final ball of the over for one more most. Came pulled Tom Scriven for six on his option to 50 from 34 balls and drove the seamer over the ropes as 20 got here from the over.
Wood was given a life on 86 when Kimber dropped him at long-on however the stand ended within the 14th over when Came drilled Ackermann to long-off. But there was no respite for the Foxes as Wood smashed Barnes over mid-off for his eleventh 4 to succeed in his century off solely 51 balls.
Callum Parkinson had Wayne Madsen caught behind off a prime edge however that solely introduced in du Plooy who smashed Finan for consecutive sixes because the Falcons sailed previous 200.
After du Plooy was caught behind off Tom Scriven, Haider hammered two sixes to take the Falcons previous their earlier highest T20 rating of 222 and depart the Foxes dealing with a frightening chase.
They set off properly with 61 coming from the powerplay earlier than Wiaan Mulder was bowled for 35 aiming a giant drive at Mattie McKiernan.
Rishi Patel pulled Wood over long-on for six and dispatched McKiernan on to the highest tier of the media centre to maintain the Foxes within the hunt however they nonetheless wanted 131 from the final 10 overs.
Patel went within the eleventh when he skied a giant drive at George Scrimshaw and the hovering asking charge claimed Ackermann when he swept Alex Thomson to deep sq. within the subsequent over.
Nick Welch hoisted McKiernan over long-off for six earlier than he was cleaned up by Zaman and Kimber’s try to hit Scrimshaw out of the bottom solely ended within the fingers of Haider operating again from mid-on.
Zaman claimed the massive wicket of Handscomb and yorked Scriven earlier than Zak Chappell eliminated Finan to seal victory with Barnes unable to bat.