Middlesex lose to Derbyshire in One-Day Cup
Harry Came scored a maiden List A hundred as Derbyshire moved to the top of Group A in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thumping nine wicket victory over Middlesex at Derby.
A second win in the competition was set up by Came (pictured) and Luis Reece, 88, who shared an opening stand of 216 off 202 balls.
Came was unbeaten on 110 from 130 balls as Derbyshire reached their target of 267 with seven overs to spare to condemn Middlesex to a second defeat.
Joe Cracknell top scored for Middlesex with 56 but the loss of three wickets in 19 balls undermined them before Martin Anderrson, 46, and the lower order lifted the total to 267 with Daryn Dupavillon taking 3 for 47.
After being put in, Middlesex had looked on course for a more substantial total until a middle order collapse forced them to regroup in the second half of the innings.
Sam Robson appeared set before Sam Conners found some late movement to have him caught behind for 32 off 28 balls in the 10th over.
Cracknell struggled initially but a pulled six off Conners got him going although he was dropped at slip off Dupavillon on 33.
England Under-19 fast bowler Harry Moore again impressed with his control and he got one to lift to have Nathan Fernandes caught behind in the 17th over.
Cracknell reached his 50 from 74 balls by lifting Reece over mid-wicket for his fifth four and with Mark Stoneman starting confidently, Middlesex were well placed at 117 for 2.
But Stoneman then flashed at a wide ball from Dupvaillon and Jack Davies skied a pull to deep mid-wicket before Cracknell missed a sweep at Samit Patel to reduce the visitors to 131 for 5.
Anderrson and Luke Hollman had to temper aggression with the need to get their side up to a competitive score and they worked the ball around to add 61 from 77 balls.
The return of Moore broke the stand when Hollman cut him to point but Josh De Caires helped Anderrson push Middlesex towards 250.
He put a dent in Patel’s figures by launching him over long off for six but the Derbyshire skipper responded by bowling Andersson as he made room to cut.
De Caires made 23 from 19 balls before he pulled Zak Chappell to deep mid-wicket but Middlesex were back in the game.
To have a chance of building on the recovery, they had to bowl well from the start but both Noah Cornwell and Blake Cullen conceded five wides in their opening overs.
Reece climbed into Cullen’s second over, pulling him into the car park and whipping him over the ropes at long leg before driving the last ball past mid off for four.
Ethan Bamber also gave away five wides in his first over and Reece and Came sailed along serenely at six an over with Middlesex struggling to contain them.
Reece reached his 50 from 48 balls and Came brought up his half-century off 72 by pulling Cornwell for his sixth four.
Stoneman rotated his bowlers to no avail as the openers did much as they pleased with Came straight driving Hollman for six in the 30th over.
The stand was finally broken when Reece was lbw sweeping Hollman but Came reached his century off 116 balls as Derbyshire cruised home in the early evening sunshine.