Wagg is scourge of Outlaws

16 June 2008

Wavell Hinds goes big in his important 45 for Derbyshire

Derbyshire Phantoms’ Graham Wagg produced a brilliant all-round performance to clinch a thrilling last-ball victory and end local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ unbeaten Twenty20 Cup run.

Needing 11 off the final over, Wagg flicked Andre Adams over short fine leg for four and then drilled the final delivery through cover to seal the win.

That completed a fine all-round performance by the left-arm seamer, who had earlier claimed 3-23 as the hosts were limited to 144 for nine, Adam Voges top-scoring with 52 off 41 balls.

Chasing 145, the Phantoms seemed to be in charge while Wavell Hinds (45) was at the crease, before he became one of Samit Patel’s three victims, ensuring the game went down to the wire.

On a slow, turning pitch, the Outlaws’ total was build around a 50-run partnership between Voges and Bilal Shafayat, as the pair helped the hosts recover from the loss of two early wickets.

Derbyshire opening bowlers Charl Langeveldt and Wagg accounted for Adams and Patel respectively, while spinner Nayan Doshi, the all-time leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 cricket, removed Will Jefferson.

Shafayat slog-swept Doshi for four and followed up with a straight six, but was then caught on the midwicket boundary for 32 by Jake Needham looking for another maximum.

His dismissal triggered another flurry of wickets in the closing overs, with Chris Cairns picking out deep square leg and Chris Read beaten for pace by the returning Langeveldt.

Voges reached his fifty with a square drive for four off Rikki Clarke but then top-edged a pull to fine leg, while Wagg sent Mark Ealham and Gareth Clough back to the pavilion in the final over.

Derbyshire lost an early wicket when Greg Smith skied an attempted pull to midwicket, but that only brought former West Indies international Hinds to the crease.

He produced some meaty strokes to keep the visitors up with the run-rate, only to become part of a late collapse as Patel picked up three wickets in seven balls.

Dan Birch and John Sadler also fell before the close but Wagg stepped up to give Derbyshire their second win in the competition.