Cork left to enjoy country practice

Cricket: NatWest Trophy

HENRY BLOFELD

reports from March

Derbyshire 289-3 Cambridgeshire 132 Derbyshire win by 157 runs

Cambridgeshire's fourth attempt to win a first-round NatWest tie at The Avenue was as unsuccessful as the first three. None the less, it provided a great day out for the neighbourhood in sunny if rather windy weather.

The Cambridge opening batsmen could argue that they were more productive against Dominic Cork than some of the West Indians were at Lord's on Monday. As it happened, the Minor County batsmen found Phillip DeFreitas the more awkward proposition - maybe Cork had stung him into action.

The ground at March is small, rural and charming and in fine condition too. Two big tents lent atmosphere, as did the three horses running about in the pasture behind the square-leg boundary. The stalls round the pavilion included a "Hog Roast" where a late lamented pig provided an excellent filling for bread rolls at lunch.

Derbyshire won the toss and quickly lost two wickets before Wayne Dessaur and Daryll Cullinan put some worthy but hardly penetrative seam bowling into perspective with a stand of 169 in 41 overs. Later there were 21 overs of spin, but nothing that was likely to check Derbyshire, although the fielding was sharp throughout.

Cork granted an interview or two and admitted to enjoying the limelight. He then bowled a wide with his first ball and briefly left the field with a blister after five fruitless overs. Frank Griffiths took the Cambridge wickets and then DeFreitas and Kim Barnett, with his gentle leg breaks, shared the next eight and it was all over before six o'clock.