Wagg's Surge Leaves Notts Floundering

Derbyshire qualifying for the Champions League might not sound the likeliest scenario but their last-ball victory in the east Midlands derby here at least prevented them from becoming the first English county to abandon hope of a lucrative payday. With the scores level, Graham Wagg lashed the last delivery, from Andre Adams, to the cover boundary to give them a second win in five matches.

Nottinghamshire's 144 seemed about 10 below par for this pitch but Derbyshire, Wavell Hinds apart, chased it frantically and it needed Wagg to intervene with 27 from 18 balls to retrieve a victory that Samit Patel seemed to have stolen.

Patel, a slow left-armer, was born in Leicester but regards himself as Nottingham through and through. He is building a decent reputation in all forms of the game. He had Rikki Clarke and James Pipe caught at long on and long off respectively in the space of three balls and, in his next over, ending Hinds' considered 45 with loop and turn, bowling him as he tried to run the ball behind square.

He followed up with an excellent running catch at long-on to dismiss Dan Birch, but with 11 needed off the final over Wagg twice terrorized Charlie Shreck's ponderous fielding at short fine and then struck the winning blow. Derbyshire prospered despite a failure for Greg Smith, who scored the only hundred in Twenty20 this season and entered last night's match as the tournament's leading run-getter; Adams caused him to miss-pull for seven.