Derbyshire win in Universities Final

Date released: 29 June 2009

A strong Derbyshire second eleven crushed Leeds UCCE by nine wickets to win the MCC Universities T20 tournament in Loughborough.

Report by Jack Hyom at Loughborough

Boasting many players with first class experience Derbyshire were the only non-university team competing in the tournament. They looked impressive throughout the two-day event with their greater experience telling as they comfortably chased down the Leeds UCCE total of 117 all out inside 11 overs.

Loughborough UCCE graduate Borrington tasted victory with Derbyshire 2nd XI Opener Daniel Birch smashed 13 fours and two sixes on the way to an unbeaten 70 off 34 balls which saw his team past the target. Paul Borrington, formerly of *Loughborough UCCE, was with him at the end on 28.

While the scoreline seemed comprehensive, Derbyshire reserve team coach Karl Krikken felt Leeds deserved their place in the final: "I think the two best sides reached the final, certainly the best MCC University team this year has been Leeds and they have quite rightly got to the MCC Universities Challenge Cup Final against Cardiff on Monday.

"Obviously we came from a position of strength because most of our guys are first-class players so they are more involved in Twenty20 cricket and they are a bit stronger and more experienced in this format of the game."

Dangerman Kruger scored 43 for Leeds Much of the damage was done with the ball as Leeds’ first three batsmen were dismissed in three overs.

Danger men Bradley Kruger (43) and Alex Blake (23) rejuvenated their innings with some exquisite shot making but the controversial wicket of Kruger, who was deemed to have edged a Jake Needham delivery into the wicket-keeper’s gloves, sparked a tail-end collapse. The Yorkshire side were bowled out on the last ball, with Needham picking up three wickets.

Leeds UCCE Coach Richard Horner said: "We’ve performed well in patches; we’ve smashed some but we have thrown some wickets away."

Horner felt inconsistency in the bowling attack was part of their downfall in the final: "You need to bowl two proper lengths, back of a length and really full and we haven’t had consistent control. If you don’t do that you can get punished."

Semi-finals and play-offs

Earlier in the day, at the semi-final stage, strong favourites Derbyshire were reduced to 69-6 by Exeter University despite 46 from the promising young batsman Daniel Redfern. Exeter bowler Alex Carroll ripped into the top order, claiming figures of 4-19, but an unbeaten half century from wicket-keeper Thomas Poynton steered Derbyshire to a respectable 151-9.

In Exeter’s reply, Chesney Hughes and Needham bagged two wickets apiece as Derby booked their place in the Final; Exeter falling 41 runs short.

Leeds, who claimed a semi-final berth with the best net run-rate of the second place finishers, chased down Cardiff UCCE’s innings of 174-7 with seven wickets and 22 balls to spare.

Player of the Tournament Ryan Bishop Cardiff batsman and Player of the Tournament Ryan Bishop added to his score of 78 not out in the group stages with a brutal 62 off 39 balls as the Welsh side looked to take a psychological boost into Monday’s MCC Challenge Cup Final against Leeds.

However, in reply James Hawley ripped into the Cardiff attack with a quick-fire 46 but it was Blake (47) and Kruger (56 not out) who stole the show with an explosive hundred partnership off 52 balls to see Leeds home inside 18 overs.

Bad weather intervened in the third/fourth place play-off, with the match abandoned after only one completed innings. Bishop had hit another half-century as Cardiff posted 189 which Exeter were unable to match.

Cambridge UCCE took the honours in the fifth/sixth place match-up as they defeated Bristol.