Cricket: Weston adds sparkle to meaningless fixture

Somerset v Derbyshire

THIS IS precisely the sort of late-season fixture to give weight to the argument for two divisions in the County Championship, with promotion to play for, relegation to avoid and members to appease.

By chance, these clubs would be lying in second and third places in the lower ranking, separated by a single point and both buoyed up by securing their fourth victories of the season in the previous round.

In close finishes, Derbyshire beat Worcestershire and Somerset inched out a tense win against Northamptonshire - two further opponents who would, under the more competitive two-tier system, be jostling for promotion. As it is, all they can hope for is to give their supporters some belated reasons to be cheerful with a little improvement in the last month.

Local talent is always to be cherished in the increasingly free market of county cricket, and they come no more local here than the 18-year-old left-arm seam bowler Matthew Bulbeck, back in the first team after nursing a side strain. His ebullient bowling fitted neatly back into a Somerset attack led by an in-form and fully focused Andy Caddick. Yesterday's most generous haul, however, went to Caddick's most reliable attacking partner, Graham Rose.

Derbyshire chose first use of a greenish wicket and went for their shots as if this was a two- day match. Captain Dominic Cork returned after sitting out the victory over Worcester, though when it came his turn to bat he could only shuffle across his stumps to be bowled behind his legs. The Derby total of 290 owed most to three younger players - Robin Weston, a valuable acquisition from Durham in the winter, hit 73, and Ben Spendlove and Ian Blackwell, who were both cheated of sprightly half centuries by over-eagerness. Derbyshire's entertaining effort had detained them for just 65.5 overs, and was dotted with 52 boundaries.

Somerset's ideas of compiling a first innings advantage by more cautious means were struck a treble blow after tea, however, when Kevin Dean and Cork soon reduced the home side to 11 for 3.