Lightning edge past Scorpions

Chasing 170 to win, Lancashire looked in dire straits at 82 for six, but Byas used all his experience along with useful support from Gary Yates to retrieve the situation.

When he was seventh man out at 137 having hit nine fours and three sixes in his 96-ball stay, Lancashire still had plenty to do but they scraped home with last man Peter Martin hitting the winning boundary off the fourth ball of the 41st over.

Earlier, Derbyshire batted first after winning the toss and were quickly reduced to 22 for three. With only one run scored, Lancashire struck with the third ball of the match when Martin dismissed Andrew Gait for a second-ball duck. Gait could only edge a good-length ball and Byas pouched the catch at slip.

Graeme Welch scored only four before he perished, trapped leg before by seamer John Wood after playing down the wrong line. That was 17 for two and only five runs had been added when Martin claimed the prize scalp of Tasmanian star Michael Di Venuto for a single. Di Venuto failed to get far enough forward to a good length ball and was given out leg before.

Skipper Dominic Cork (11) helped Stephen Stubbings add 40 for the fourth wicket before he fell victim to Kyle Hogg, clean bowled attempting a forcing shot. Stubbings did his best to hold the innings together but, with the total on 89, Hogg struck again to dismiss the opener who edged a good-length delivery to Byas at slip after making a solid 39.

The Scorpions saw their innings slip into further decline with the cheap dismissals of Mathew Dowman and Luke Sutton. Dowman scored just a single before clipping a delivery from spinner Yates straight to Byas at short mid-wicket and Sutton made five before he sparred fatally at a good-length delivery from Hogg and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Warren Hegg.

At 102 for seven with barely half their allotted 45 overs used, Derbyshire were in big trouble but Steve Selwood, with useful support from the tail, inched the visitors towards a respectable total. Selwood was last man out for a solid 52 as Derbyshire managed to take their innings into the final over. Promising seamer Hogg was the pick of an impressive Lancashire attack with three for 20 off nine accurate overs.

However, in reply, Lancashire made a disastrous start by quickly slumping to 14 for three. Mark Chilton was bowled for a duck by the third ball of Cork's first over, Alec Swann was trapped leg before by Kevin Dean for two and Neil Fairbrother failed to trouble the scorers before he was caught short of his ground attempting a risky run to Cork.

Byas remained impervious to the carnage as Graham Lloyd, Ryan Driver and skipper Hegg all fell cheaply but he finally found a steady partner in Yates and their stand of 55 for the seventh wicket proved to be crucial. Byas was trapped leg before on the back foot by the impressive Cork and Yates (32) followed in similar style against spinner Lian Wharton but Lancashire's tail kept their heads to secure a morale-boosting victory.

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