Durham v Derbyshire
Yorkshire Bank 40

PAUL COLLINGWOOD celebrated his 37th birthday a day late by re-discovering his oneday form as Durham eased to victory in yesterday’s rain-ruined YB 40 match at home to Derbyshire.

The veteran of 197 one-day internationals averaged 20.6 in this competition last year, with a top score of 32. But he contributed 79 to Durham’s total of 273 for six against the Peakites, who hardly got out of base camp.

Gordon Muchall applied a sparkling finish to the innings with a 30-ball half-century and Derbyshire were struggling on 70 for three after 16 overs when rain ended play.

It had been drizzling for some time, but Durham-born umpires George Sharp and Peter Willey decided it had become too heavy and the Duckworth/ Lewis formula calculated that Durham had won by 43 runs.

If Derbyshire were to challenge Durham’s total they needed good contributions from their West Indian openers, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chesney Hughes.

But Graham Onions removed both as he bowled straight through his eight overs to take three for 27.

Derbyshire have struggled for years and after their surprising promotion in the championship last year they look destined for a swift return to division two. On this evidence they also look distinctly second rate in 40-over combat.

Ex-Nottinghamshire leftarm paceman Mark Footitt looked useful in taking three wickets, while 19-year-old offspinner Peter Burgoyne also performed creditably.

But Sunderland-born Mark Turner’s first three overs cost 25, although he wasn’t helped by Chanderpaul letting a four through his legs at short fine leg to help Phil Mustard give the innings some early impetus.

Mustard must have been kicking himself when he stepped back in the seventh over in an attempt to hit Turner over extra cover and missed a straight ball.

As Mark Stoneman had holed out at deep backward square leg in the second over there was plenty of chance for the middle order men.

They all tucked in with Scott Borthwick making 43, one short of his one-day best, and Ben Stokes 40 at a run-aball.

Collingwood had made only six off 12 balls when he drove 21-year-old medium pacer Alex Hughes for a straight six.

Otherwise he was content to accumulate steadily in taking the score to 109 after 20 overs. He pulled Turner for his third four to reach 50 off 59 balls and was probably eyeing the chance of a century when he fell in the 36th over, lbw when trying to hit a swinging yorker from Footitt to leg.

Stokes made a quiet start and on 14 was dropped at deep mid-wicket by Billy Godleman, who had just made a brilliant stop.

After making 19 off 31 balls Stokes moved into overdrive, bludgeoning two straight fours as Turner conceded 14 in the 27th over. A straight six off left-arm spinner David Wainwright followed in the next over but when Footitt returned Stokes drove his second ball to mid-off.

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen sent down three overs of dross, masquerading as off spin, and in his third over Muchall lofted three successive balls over mid-off for four.

He also drove Footitt over long-on for six and cleared the mid-wicket rope off Wainwright as the 38th over yielded 15 runs. Gareth Breese chipped in with 16 off ten ball as Durham took 69 off the last six overs.

The powerful Hughes began the reply by hitting Onions through the covers for four off the back foot, followed by an edged four, before trying to turn a yorker to leg and falling lbw.

Chanderpaul made 11 before he played back and edged to Mustard in the seventh over and in Onions’ final over Paul Borrington departed for 32 when he pulled a catch to midwicket.

An hour after rain intervened it was announced that Derbyshire had eight overs to score 116 runs to win. In such farcical circumstances it was a relief when the rain returned to prevent a resumption.

SCORECARD

Durham v Derbyshire
At Emirates Durham ICG.

Durham
M D Stoneman c Godleman b Footitt ... 3
P Mustard b Turner ..............................15
S G Borthwick c Johnson b Burgoyne ..43
P D Collingwood lbw b Footitt ..............79
B A Stokes c Burgoyne b Footitt ...........40
G J Muchall not out ..............................57
G R Breese run out ...............................16
W R Smith not out ................................ 8
Extras (lb4 w6 nb2 ).................12
Total 6 wkts Innings Complete (40 overs) 273
Fall: 1-4 2-40 3-96 4-169 5-221 6-264
Did Not Bat: M A Wood, C Rushworth, G
Onions.
Bowling: Turner 8-0-65-1. Footitt 8-0-55-3.
Burgoyne 8-0-35-1. A L Hughes 5-0-38-0.
Wainwright 8-0-51-0. Madsen 3-0-25-0.

Derbyshire
C F Hughes lbw b Onions ..................... 8
S Chanderpaul c Mustard b Onions ......11
P M Borrington c Borthwick b Onions ..32
W L Madsen not out .............................10
B A Godleman not out ......................... 0
Extras (lb4 w5)...........................9
Total 3 wkts Innings Complete (16 overs) 70
Fall: 1-8 2-36 3-66
Bowling: Onions 8-0-27-3. Rushworth 5-1-
18-0. Breese 1-0-12-0. Wood 2-0-9-0.
Durham beat Derbyshire by 43 runs (D/L Method)