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Spendlove surge makes Middlesex suffer

Derbys (139) bt Middx (114) by 25 runs

Derbyshire inflicted Middlesex's second National League defeat in three days with an emphatic 25-run victory yesterday.

Overnight rain and an overcast morning which gave the day a start-of-season feel, reduced the match to 33 overs. ``Not a great day for playing cricket,'' suggested Derbyshire's captain, Phillip DeFreitas. ``You have to make the effort.''

Put in to bat on a pitch that turned and bounced, Derbyshire started well and their innings gained momentum when top-scorer Ben Spendlove and Ian Blackwell came together. Spendlove in particular drove impressively, straight and through the on-side. But Paul Weekes dismissed them both during a tidy spell, and with other wickets falling regularly, Derbyshire's total looked short.

At no stage was the wicket easy - rain had dripped under the covers overnight and a damp patch at the Adelaide end gave the pitch some zip. Light rain during the interval added to the problems and the dismissal of Owais Shah, prodding at the fourth ball of the Middlesex innings, proved to be the start of a rout.

Justin Langer and Weekes briefly gave Middlesex hope. But when Michael Slater held on at short extra-over to a full-blooded drive from Langer, Middlesex's best chance was gone.