Madsen is just magnificent this time as county qualify with record win
WAYNE Madsen scored his first T20 century as Derbyshire Falcons finished their Vitality Blast North Group campaign with a recordbreaking five-wicket victory over Durham at Derby.
Madsen scored a brilliant unbeaten 100 off 47 balls with 11 fours and three sixes as the Falcons completed their highest T20 run chase by cruising to 194-5 to set them up for the quarter-finals.
They knew they had qualified before the game, after Friday night’s results, but momentum and the hope of finishing high enough for a home quarter-final were big enough motivation for the game.
Where or when that quarter-final will be was waiting on the result of last night’s Lancashire-Warwickshire match as we went to press.
Madsen admitted that a century had been very much in his mind and he timed it perfectly, thanks to some smart help with the strike from Alex Hughes, as Derbyshire closed in on victory.
“It’s been coming and it was on the shopping list of goals this season to try and get that hundred,” said Madsen.
“I thought there might be a chance if I could get myself going with Shan (Masood) and fortunately it was a great wicket, you could play most shots on it. Our ground staff have produced fantastic wickets for the whole campaign.
“It was a fantastic feeling to get over the line with that hundred. I was calculating it to a degree but the most important thing was to win the game. We wanted to take momentum into this week.
“We’ve played with belief the whole season, both in red ball and now we’ve taken that into white ball cricket and we just believe we can chase any total or defend any total.
“It’s a special environment in the group at the moment and when you have that belief to win, anything is possible.”
Durham had posted a challenging 193-5 thanks to Ollie Robinson’s 43 from 27 balls and Michael Jones’s 42 off 22, with Falcons leg-spinner Mattie McKiernan taking 3-29.
Durham had lost nine of their previous matches but started well after Jones smashed 19 from the first over by Ben Aitchison, who was making his first Blast appearance of the season following a back injury.
The seamer was driven for three consecutive fours before Jones launched him over the long on boundary and with Scott Borthwick finding his range after an uncertain start, Durham were 67 without loss after the power-play.
But McKiernan shifted the momentum by removing them both in consecutive overs as Borthwick failed to clear long on and Jones drove to long off.
Ashton Turner pulled the legspinner for six but fell next ball trying to repeat the shot and it was left to Robinson to pick up the tempo.
After he survived a sharp chance on 20 to Madsen at backward point, Robinson pulled and drove Alex Hughes and Luis Reece for three sixes as 31 came from the 14th and 15th overs.
Robinson skied Aitchison to long off but Brydon Carse scored 17 from nine balls and Jonathan Bushnell an unbeaten 25 off 20 to take Durham to a competitive total.
The Falcons then lost Luis Reece in the first over, lbw playing across the line at Carse, but Masood was soon into his elegant stride, easing the ball to the ropes on both sides of the wicket on his way to 31 from 28 balls.
And Madsen was at his inventive best. He scooped Ben Raine over the wicketkeeper for six in the fifth over and pulled Nathan Sowter for another before a savage straight drive almost took out Raine on its way to the fence.
The danger signs were flashing for Durham as Madsen tore into Carse, pulling him for four and driving him for a third six to reach 50 off only 25 balls. Durham had to break the stand and Andrew Tye delivered by trapping Masood lbw in the 10th over, which cost only three runs.
Raine struck in the 11th when Leus du Plooy cut to backward point but Hilton Cartwright marked his first Blast appearance for the Falcons by driving Borthwick and Sowter for sixes.
He also pulled and cut Tye for two fours as Derbyshire maintained their momentum and Madsen inflicted further damage in the 16th when he pulled Borthwick for four before the bowler’s shy at the stumps as they ran a two fizzed away to the boundary and became six.
Cartwright had made a fine 38 from 23 balls when he was caught at long off but Madsen was cruising and although Brooke Guess could not see it through, Derbyshire were ahead of the rate and Hughes did just what he needed to, to help Madsen complete the win and his century with five balls to spare.