Cricket: Tweats holds firm to vanquish Scots

Scotland 174; Derbyshire 177-7 Derbyshire win by three wickets

Scotland 174; Derbyshire 177-7 Derbyshire win by three wickets

DERBYSHIRE struggled to their first Benson and Hedges Cup success of the season when they beat Scotland by three wickets at Forfar.

Replying to the home side's total of 174, the county made heavy weather of it and had looked in deep trouble at 116 for 7. However, Tim Tweats and Karl Krikken guided them to their target without further mishap, although there were one or two alarms along the way.

Derbyshire's captain, Dominic Cork, admitted: "The Scots took more credit from the match than we did. They made us battle hard on a difficult track. It was a typical league-type wicket - but we were the professionals and should have adapted better."

Scotland's coach, Jim Love, said: "The outcome was frustrating again for us. In three out of our four B&H ties, we have competed with the counties for large chunks of the game - but each time we have been unable to finish the job."

Love's men looked on course to set a challenging total when they stood at 137 for 4 but they then collapsed to 140 for 8 - with three needless run outs adding to the home side's woe. Ian Blackwell and Cork were removed when Derbyshire had 24 on the board and when the scalps of Adrian Rollins, Phil De Freitas and Vince Clarke were also captured, the county were on shaky ground.

Their plight worsened when Ben Spendlove and Kim Barnett were dismissed to make it 116 for 7. But then Derbyshire's long batting order came good as Krikken and Tweats cautiously steered them past the target.

The Scots' opener Bryn Lockie was the only man to pass the half-century mark with 51 but Tweats won the Gold Award for his crucial unbeaten 42.