Jaques guides Worcester home
Worcestershire were winners on the field but losers at the turnstiles after choosing to go head-to-head with the football World Cup in their Friends Provident t20 clash with Derbyshire at New Road
Cricinfo staff
27-Jun-2010
Worcestershire 148 for 2 beat Derbyshire 147 for 7 by eight wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Worcestershire were winners on the field but losers at the turnstiles after choosing to go head-to-head with the football World Cup in their Friends Provident t20 clash with Derbyshire at New Road.
Only 1,000 spectators - not even half the regular turnout in this competition - were persuaded to shun the England v Germany game on TV but they enjoyed their afternoon in the heatwave as the Royals swept to an eight-wicket victory with 4.5 overs to spare.
Wes Durston, with 77 from 57 balls, saw Derbyshire to 147 for 7 and this
was nowhere near enough to test the home side in their second successful run-chase in the space of three days.
Although still bottom of the North Division, they are suddenly more at home in this format with Phil Jaques firing at the top of the order. Undaunted by the loss of opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya (16), the Australian left-hander romped to 50 in only 26 balls.
The equally resourceful Moeen Ali (45) weighed in with five fours and two sixes in a stand of 87 in 7.5 overs and Jaques finished the job with 11 fours in reaching an undefeated 70.
Derbyshire failed to cash in on the latest chapter in a remarkable revival in Durston's career since the allrounder was released by Somerset. Starting the season with the newly created Unicorns team, he scored a Clydesdale Bank 40 century against Sussex before landing a short-term deal for the duration of the Friends Provident t20 competition.
Moved up to open on his fourth appearance, he made 111 against Nottinghamshire and followed this with an unbeaten 71 against Durham to secure a full-time contract until 2012.
Now up to 322 runs in 10 innings for the Falcons, he was the only batsman to play with freedom as Worcestershire succeeded in holding their opponents to below 150 for the second match in a row.
Building on the win against Northamptonshire on Friday, James Cameron and Moeen each claimed a wicket in their first over but Durston remained a stumbling block with eight fours and two sixes.
His dismissal, sweeping the medium pacer Cameron (3 for 22) to short fine
leg, sparked off a clatter of four wickets in 15 balls. Left-arm seamer Jack Shantry took three in the penultimate over before Jaques led the home side to a win.