Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Andersson hits fifty, takes six wickets in Derbyshire romp

Martin Andersson finished with a six-for to go with his half-century Getty Images

Derbyshire 230 for 5 (Jewell 58*, Andersson 57, Donald 49) beat Leicestershire 145 (Turner 53, Andersson 6-23) by 85 runs

Martin Andersson was the man of the night as Derbyshire Falcons thrashed Leicestershire Foxes by 85 runs to record their first win of the Vitality Blast season, the seam-bowling allrounder backing up a half-century with the bat by taking a career-best 6 for 23 with the ball, the best bowling figures by any Derbyshire bowler in T20 history.

The Foxes, for whom Australian allrounder Ashton Turner top-scored with 53 from 22 balls, suffered a third defeat, bowled out for 145 in 15.2 overs.

Derbyshire capitalised on a lightning start to hammer a formidable 230 for 5 - just one short of their record in the format - after Caleb Jewell struck an unbeaten 58 off 35 balls, Andersson having made 57 from 29 and Aneurin Donald 49 from 24.

Needing to surpass their own tournament record total to win, the Foxes suffered a calamitous beginning to their reply, finding themselves three down in the first 11 balls with only six scored. Rishi Patel was caught at deep midwicket off spinner Jack Morley before Stephen Eskinazi hit straight to mid-off and Nick Kelly chopped on, giving Ben Aitchison two wickets in four balls.

Turner and Ben Cox then raised home hopes in an exhilarating partnership that added 92 in 40 balls, Turner twice clearing the boundary off Pakistan international Akif Javed and pulling another six off Matt Montgomery's offspin.

Turner survived one chance on 32 but both batters perished in the same Andersson over, each finding Ross Whiteley in the deep on the off side, and after Liam Trevaskis became the sixth Foxes wicket to fall on 111 there looked like only one winner.

The Andersson-Whiteley combo enjoyed a third success as Ben Green holed out, before the former Middlesex man, who did not bowl in either of Derbyshire's opening two matches, caught and bowled Ian Holland and Josh Hull in the same over.

Winning the toss, the Foxes opted to chase whatever Derbyshire could muster, which quickly looked like being a lot as the visitors flew out of the traps, putting on 78 in the powerplay. Donald - dropped in the deep twice, on 25 and 44 - cleared the ropes three times, twice off home skipper Green.

A good grab on the run by Turner at mid-on finally removed Donald but Derbyshire continued apace, Andersson uppercutting for six as he raced to a 22-ball fifty and the Falcons reached halfway at 120 for 1.

The home side regained some ground, restricting Derbyshire to 35 in the next five overs. Turner had Andersson caught at deep point, then Holland took two in two, bowling Wayne Madsen with a leg-stump yorker and dismissing Whiteley with a brilliant one-handed return catch.

But Montgomery (27 off 13) provided fresh impetus before Jewell cleared the long-on rope off a free hit in hammering 24 in a single Ben Mike over and Ben Green's final over went for 19, the last five yielding 75 runs in a Derbyshire total just one short of their record 231 made against the same opponents at Derby in 2023.

Twenty20 Cup (England)

Central & West Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOR22082.575
GLO22081.2
SOM11041.077
GLA2020-0.1
WAR2020-1.616
WOR1010-5
Cross Pool
TeamMWLPTNRR
SUR11042.95
SOM11041.896
WOR11040.9
LEI1010-0.9
HAM1010-1.896
LAN1010-2.95
North Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
DUR22081.757
YOR22081.133
LAN11041.95
DER31241.198
NOT2020-1.929
LEI2020-3.851
South Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
KEN22081.167
HAM11041.5
SUR11040.634
SUS21120.632
MID2020-1.043
ESS2020-1.864