Cricket: Krikken is so happy with Dean 28 runs

Derbyshire 280 & 168

Worcestershire 104 & 316 Derbyshire win by 28 runs

KARL KRIKKEN saluted emerging pace bowler Kevin Dean after the 22-year- old bowled Derbyshire to a fourth Championship victory that completed a memorable five days for the club.

Dean took nine wickets in the match as Derbyshire beat Worcestershire by 28 runs following their memorable NatWest Trophy semi-final victory at Leicester last week, which was decided on the last ball.

The left-armer demonstrated he is an opponent to be reckoned with as he claimed his 50th victim of the season - and Krikken believes he can only get better.

Krikken, Derbyshire's vice-captain and wicketkeeper, insisted: "Kevin has got a lot of bottle and he's great in pressure situations.

"He's always had important ingredients in his game. He can swing it both ways, he sticks close to the wicket and he doesn't give the batsman a lot to play with.

"He's growing into his strength now. He was very slim and willowy when he first came here but he's built up his strength doing a fair bit in the gym this winter.

"We are now seeing the benefit of that. He's hitting the gloves hard this year which shows he's gained an extra yard of pace and batsman don't have the time to adjust.

"He's very honest, very committed and quite aggressive on the field considering how quiet he is off the field."

Dean's five-wicket haul denied Worcestershire a victory that Vikram Solanki had almost singlehandedly set up with a career-best 170 from 188 balls.

He was dropped three times but the quality of his stroke-play was of the highest class and he was last out with his team just 28 runs away from reaching a daunting target of 345.

Solanki scored a Sunday League 100 at Derby last month and his captain, Tom Moody, knows that the right-hander has an abundance of natural ability.

"It was a fantastic innings from Vikram. He obviously had his slice of luck along the way but we all need a bit of that," Moody said.

"He's got an enormous amount of talent and he's starting to show that more consistently this season."

Worcestershire have now lost four Championship games in a row and they must hope for injuries to clear up and Graeme Hick to return from England duty.