Scorpions find sting in tail

Norwich Union League D2, Derby: Derbyshire 182-7 (42.4 overs) beat Northamptonshire 180-8 (45 overs) by three wickets

Match scorecard

Tailender Jason Kerr hit an unbeaten 65 to secure Derbyshire Scorpions a three-wicket win over previously unbeaten Northamptonshire Steelbacks at the County Ground.

Northants registered 180 for eight from their 45 overs thanks largely to Tony Penberthy's conservative 55 not out.

But in response, the Steelbacks' lower-order batsmen Kerr and Luke Sutton (27 not out) showed great nerve in the final overs to snatch victory with 14 balls to spare.

Derbyshire captain Dominic Cork, opening the bowling with Kevin Dean, receieved early vindication after sending Northants in to bat.

Dean got the early breakthrough, removing skipper Mike Hussey lbw for 15.

Cork and Dean then took a wicket each in the space of three balls, the captain striking first by bowling Mal Loye for 15, while Sales (one) fell the same way as his captain after being trapped in front by Dean.

Upheld

Russell Warren soon departed having added just one run to the total after Cork had his lbw appeal upheld.

And with the total on 44 Jeff Cook (six) became the fifth visiting batsman to fail, lbw to Dean.

Penberthy added some credibility with a half-century that included five fours, and he was supported by Ricky Anderson, who found the boundary twice on his way to 22.

In reply, Scorpions opener Andrew Gait went for a golden duck, from the second ball of the innings, after he edged Darren Cousins to wicketkeeper Tobin Bailey.

Fellow opener Steve Stubbings also fell cheaply for 11 and by the time Graeme Welch was returning to the pavilion, having been removed by Anderson for 23, the home side were 35 for three.

Michael Di Venuto reached 22 off 20 balls when Penberthy got his first victim of the day, forcing the Australian to edge a full-length delivery through to Bailey.

Derbyshire kept the score ticking over nicely, but wickets continued to fall at an alarming rate.

At the 25-over mark they had reached 91 for seven, but Sutton and Kerr produced a 94-run partnership for the eighth wicket to steer the Scorpions home.

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Derbyshire: S D Stubbings, M J Di Venuto, C W G Bassano, M P Dowman A I Gait, D G Cork (Capt), L D Sutton (Wkt), G Welch, J I D Kerr K J Dean, L J Wharton.

Northamptonshire: M E K Hussey (Capt), M B Loye, D J G Sales R J Warren, J W Cook, A L Penberthy, T M B Bailey (Wkt) R S G Anderson, C G Greenidge, D M Cousins, J F Brown.