DURHAM’S hopes of swift revenge against Derbyshire in the Friends Life t20 competition were washed out at Chester-le-Street yesterday.

The visitors scored 169 for five, 14 fewer than in Friday night’s five-run home win, but rain prevented Durham from beginning their reply.

Drizzle was falling throughout the second half of Derbyshire’s innings, but it was considered too heavy to resume.

As Durham continue to struggle to build any momentum, they now face back-toback games against group leaders Nottinghamshire, at home tomorrow evening and under the Trent Bridge floodlights on Thursday.

Victory in at least one of those is essential and Durham will give further thought to their bowling plans after again being put to the sword by South African Wayne Madsen. Signed last June by Derbyshire after making a century in a second team game at Darlington, he was considered a four-day opener and barely featured in the Twenty20.

This season, however, he has shown himself to be very inventive and, despite not being a powerful hitter, he followed his 28-ball half-century against Durham at Derby by reaching 50 off only 25 balls yesterday.

By the time Madsen was out for 54 in the 19th over he must have suspected his efforts would be in vain as fixtures between these sides continue to be blighted by the weather.

Four years ago the Durham bus had to negotiate severe flooding in south Yorkshire on the return from a game which never had a chance of starting.

Durham’s visits to Derby in recent years have twice been interrupted by a low sun (the square has now been turned round) and both last season’s T20 clashes were abandoned in mid-match.

Dale Benkenstein again put Derbyshire in yesterday, but this time gave the first over to Chris Rushworth.

With only two men allowed outside the circle in the first six overs he opted for a deep cover, despite Martin Guptill having twice hit Graham Onions through mid-wicket in Friday’s first over.

This time the New Zealander opened up by turning Rushworth behind square leg as he hit four successive balls to the boundary.

The third was pulled wide of mid-on, but even though the shot was mistimed Mitch Claydon was unable to cut it off when a more athletic fielder such as Scott Borthwick would certainly have done so.

While Yorkshire have opened the bowling with their leg-spinner, Adil Rashid, with a degree of success, Durham continue to prefer Claydon to Borthwick, despite the burly Australian going into the match with an economy rate of 10.9.

He was brought on for the third over and after conceding only a single to the struggling Chesney Hughes off the first four balls his last two were cut and pulled for four by Guptill.

He had already hit six fours, despite Onions conceding only one run off the second over, when he also had Wes Durston caught at third man by Claydon.

The total was on 28 after three overs, but Onions and Liam Plunkett then kept a tight rein and Gareth Breese’s first two overs cost only 13.

Even Guptill was held in check after his flying start and after making 44 off 31 balls he gave Plunkett a return catch. But as on Friday, the arrival of Madsen injected extra urgency and again spoilt Plunkett’s figures.

It was almost a replica of Plunkett’s Derby spell as three good overs cost 16 runs and the fourth went for 15, which included two wides.

He was slightly unlucky, however, when Madsen flipped him just over the head of Ian Blackwell at long leg, where the rope was 15 yards in from the boundary boards.

Having restricted Derbyshire to 79 after 12 overs, the acceleration continued as the left-handed Hughes also began to middle the ball. He had made only 16 off 26 balls when Guptill was out, but after hoisting Breese for a big six over long-on he sped to 48 off 44 balls.

He hit a second six over midwicket off Paul Collingwood, who hadn’t bowled on Friday but came on for the 15th over and took two for 24 in three overs. Hughes fell in going for another big hit off Breese. He must have given the ball altitude sickness before it descended into the hands of Gordon Muchall at deep midwicket.

Madsen reached his 50 by turning Collingwood to fine leg for his seventh four before the same bowler had him caught behind. Also in the 19th over Garry Park swung another catch to Muchall then Claydon restricted Derbyshire to nine off the final over. After scoring 107 off the last ten overs, the visitors would have fancied their chances of the double. But the washout left both teams in the bottom half of the group.

SCORECARD

Durham v Derbyshire
At Emirates Durham ICG. Durham Won Toss
Derbyshire
W J Durston c Claydon b Onions 1
M J Guptill c & b Plunkett 44
C F Hughes c Muchall b Breese 48
W L Madsen c Mustard b Collingwood 54
G T Park c Muchall b Collingwood 4
R A Whiteley not out 4
J L Clare not out 5
Extras (w9 pens 0) 9
Total 5 wkts (20 overs) 169
Fall: 1-17 2-66 3-126 4-155 5-161
Did Not Bat: L D Sutton, T D Groenewald,
P S Jones, T C Knight.
Bowling: Rushworth 2-0-31-0. Onions 4-0-
18-1. Claydon 3-0-23-0. Plunkett 4-0-31-
1. Breese 4-0-42-1. Collingwood 3-0-24-2.