Northamptonshire 152 for 4 (Zaib 37*, Willey 31, Lynn 31) beat Derbyshire 151 for six (Madsen 57, Guest 49) by six wickets

The phrase on the streets, nevertheless, had lengthy been that Willey had been promised appreciable authority at Northants as soon as he walked out on Yorkshire in protest on the mass sacking of employees. It was not as a lot what was finished as the way in which it was finished that was at difficulty.

Willey is available in to his personal on demanding days like these. For Derbyshire and Northamptonshire this was assuredly a working Bank Holiday, the form of exacting floor that ought to have gamers claiming a day in lieu for the additional effort required, to not point out Mick Lynch calling a wildcat strike in protest and Amazon docking pay as a result of the rating wasn't mounting rapidly sufficient.

That was encapsulated by Derbyshire's bowling Powerplay. They had leaked scores within the excessive 70s of their first two video games so to limit Northants to 29 for 1 was fairly a change of tone. But it was all to no avail. They now have three defeats on the bounce and a repeat of final 12 months's quarter-final look - at which level they imploded towards Somerset at Taunton - doesn't look doubtless.

Northants, although, give Willey one thing to work with. His stand of 64 with Chris Lynn was growled and grimaced somewhat than purred, however they've a harmful high six. The inclusion of left-arm legspinner Freddie Heldreich for the primary time this season additionally gave them extra selection with the ball.

Heldreich struck along with his first supply, bowling Anuj Dal who did not hit him out of the bottom, and did a good job, even when Wayne Madsen did twice loft him over the ropes. A shoddy piece of fielding at high-quality leg, nevertheless, is not going to must be repeated too usually if he's to please his new taskmaster.

Derby was at its most inviting: a heat and sunny Bank Holiday, a tree-lined floor that belies its primary popularity of previous, and a good, convivial crowd. That native tastes wouldn't be simply happy, nevertheless, was obvious when Derbyshire misplaced 4 wickets for 49 by the eighth over - Luis Reece and Haider Ali each failing with straight hits because the pitch revealed its true nature, and Leus du Plooy taking part in throughout one from James Sales earlier than Heldreich made his entrance.

Madsen and Brooke Guest responded with a realizing stand of 92 in 70 balls from a dangerous place of 49 for 4 within the ninth. It by no means fairly felt sufficient; it was simply that as a result of it was Madsen supervising affairs you felt that it is likely to be.

Madsen assesses pitches in addition to anyone round. Data consultants might crunch 1000's of statistics. Google pitch robots might take soil samples from the floor (it is solely a matter of time). All the algorithms that cash should buy (in Derbyshire's case about 50 quid's price) may very well be put into use. Then when Madsen was knowledgeable that 175 can be a profitable rating, he would chew over the knowledge earlier than adjusting it to 151.

On this event, Derbyshire have been conservative for too lengthy. Madsen and Guest started steadily, have been regular all through the center part and, because the overs ran out, remained regular. The Steelbacks eliminated Madsen within the penultimate over when he pulled Taylor to deep midwicket and Guest fell within the ultimate over when he lifted Andrew Tye into the arms of lengthy on.

Northants may need dismissed Madsen when he had solely a single to his title, Sales failing to provide the correct throw wanted after Reece rejected Madsen's name for a single into the off facet. He was additionally dropped on 40 - the previous Derbyshire seamer, Tom Taylor, being the luckless bowler when he clothed one to mid-on however Tye fumbled with an ungainly dive.

Although Northants misplaced Ricardo Vasconcelos early, pulling to quick midwicket, Willey and Lynn old-manned them into a good place. Derbyshire bowled with spirit, and when Reece eliminated each batters inside three balls - Willey holing out at deep sq.; Lynn dragging on a large one - they sensed a possibility.

But Saif Zaib was reprieved on 14 by Zaman Khan as he slapped the left-arm spinner, Mark Watt, to the sting of the circle, and Northants made gentle work of a goal of 44 from the final six as Zaib, a high-quality pure expertise who has remained in bud for much too lengthy, flowered with essentially the most engaging innings of the day.

David Hopps writes on county cricket for ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps