Flying Falcons cut down Lightning in opening encounter
AS FAR as statements go, Derbyshire Falcons could not have made a bigger one in the opening round – thrashing champions Lancashire Lightning in the North Group after finishing last season’s competition with the worst record.
The Falcons mustered just four wins in 2015 but were as wonderful on Saturday as they were woeful last year, with Hamish Rutherford’s unbeaten 71 leading the charge in a nine-wicket win.
Into bat first, Lightning could never get to grips with the visitors’ shrewd bowling and the performance of 19year-old leg-spinner Matt Critchley drew special praise from skipper Wes Durston.
“It was the perfect start really,” he said. “The fact that they’re defending champions, it was great to come here and get the two points.
“I was really pleased for Matt Critchley on debut. Bowling leg spin is not easy, and he bowled beautifully in partnership with Alex Hughes.We squeezed the game and were delighted to be chasing 132.
“We tried to get off to a fast start and above the rate before the spinners came into the game. That’s exactly how it proved. Hamish played fantastically with Neil Broom to finish the game off.”
Elsewhere last year’s runners-up, Northants Steelbacks, started their path back to Finals Day in fine fashion after Richard Levi set the tone.
The South African smashed 61 at a strike rate of nearly 200 – and fellow opener Adam Rossington produced a similarly quick-fire 23 – as Leicestershire Foxes’ 178-5 was polished off with five wickets to spare via Duckworth-Lewis.
Jeetan Patel’s spin got on top of Notts Outlaws but it took a middleorder boost from fellow New Zealand international Luke Ronchi to nudge Birmingham Bears over the line and to a six-wicket victory.
Riki Wessels (52) and Dan Christian (34) laid into Recordo Gordon (0-58), but Patel helped restrict Notts to 179-7 by bagging three wickets for the loss of just 23 runs.
Sam Hain’s 92 not out got the Bears motoring in reply but a scorching 22 from Ronchi – the wicket-keeper needing just ten balls – proved crucial.
And it was a one-man show for the Worcestershire Rapids as Tom Kohler-Cadmore blasted 127 runs in the 38-run victory over Durham Jets.