DERBY (Derbyshire won toss): Derbyshire Phantoms (2pts) beat Durham Dynamos by six wickets
NO SIDE successfully defended a 20-over score of fewer than 133 last year and, despite a slow, green pitch that hampered big hitting, there was little doubt that Derbyshire would get home, even before an explosive 46 in 28 balls from Jon Moss (Neville Scott writes). Indeed, their tigerish fielding and command of an evidently long-discussed strategy suggest a side who, in lieu of other honours, view Twenty20 as crucial.
In contrast, Durham, leading the promotion charge in both the totesport League and the county championship, rested three players and gave Gary Scott only his second match since August 2001. Kevin Dean alone bowled successive overs in the first half of their innings and the Phantoms’ spinners then came on in harness to strengthen their grip. Gordon Muchall latterly broke free to belt 46 from 43 balls before being held at long-off in the final over, but nobody else reached 15 in the Dynamos’ undynamic 130 for seven.
Although Michael Di Venuto, attempting a pull, deflected from body on to stumps as the second ball of the reply proved yet another that failed to come on, Moss made a mockery of the conditions and of Mark Turner, an exposed teenager, by dominating a 76-run stand through the next eight overs. When he played on, it was left to James Bryant to usher Derbyshire home.
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SHOW-STOPPER: Dean’s third over: six dot balls and a stumping off a wide.
SHOW-DOWNER: Sluggish pitch that stifled strokeplay.