Not Quite, White

A t20 on a Saturday, a collectors item in itself as Northampton (with dodgy forecast) is the venue for Northants vs Worcestershire.
Worcestershire won the toss, and decided to bat first, and found the going a bit tough (for a t20 anyway). Moeen Ali and Vikram Solanki both found the boundary, but Oli Stone then found Solanki's leg stump to fall for 8, 14-1. Chaminda Vaas and Stone then followed up with 7 off the next three overs, even a four off James Middlebrook's first over left Worcestershire 29-1 after the powerplay.
Moeen Ali then fell backing away and trying to swing Middlebrook over cover, well caught by captain Alex Wakely for 14, 33-2. This brought James Cameron to join Australian Phil Hughes for the partnership that took the game away from Northants.
It wasn't fast going, but some solid strokes brought boundaries off Middlebrook and Rob Keogh left the score 78-2 after 14 when the fireworks began. Con de Lange's first ball was smashed by Cameron for six and next over Hughes swung David Willey over long on, and followed it with two fours through midwicket (the last off a free hit) as 21 came from the over. Things got worse for Northants as Cameron absolutely annihilated a full toss from De Lange high over the West Stand at square leg, and on one bounce, out of the ground to bring up his 50 from 31 balls as 13 came from the over. Stone then got stoned for 11 off the 18th that brought up the 100 partnership for the third wicket, as Hughes also passed 50 from 47 balls. Vaas returned for his last over, and immediately had Cameron caught on the long on for 57 from 39, Hughes (52 from 50) then fell next ball, a big heave to the outswinger, and found the edge to be caught low down (somewhat bizarrely) at short third man by Stone, who then had Daryl Mitchell caught in the deep by Keogh for 1 as the late comeback left Worcestershire 142-5. Vaas was the best bowler, with 2-15 from his four overs, and Stone took 2-26.
Northants start was slow and uninspiring as Kyle Coetzer and Vaas struggled against Jack Shantry and David Lucas, and when Vaas lasered Lucas for four, he was bowled next ball for 9 off 9. Northants managed to leave things pretty even after the powerplay, partly due to Wakely's insistence of smiting Gareth Andrew to Alex Kervezee on the square leg fence for 1, 32-2.
Cameron White, the big hitting Australian then came in, but was reigned in during the spell of the match from Moeen Ali, whose off spin from the Lynn Wilson End was tight and when it did get hit, it was straight to a fielder. The innings was meandering along with 56 off the first 10, but that was all Northants really needed provided they didn't do anything stupid. Coetzer was beginning to play some good strokes, but then skied Mitchell to Ali at long off for a run a ball 33. This was the key break as Rob White then came and went for a tough 9 ball 4, heaving to Kervezee in the deep to give Mitchell another. Ali finished his 4 for only 14 runs with no boundaries, a match winning spell as it turned out.
At the other end, with the score 73-4, White decided he'd had enough of dealing with these amateurs, smashing Mitchell for a six into the roller at square leg, and then six more just past the Kervezee running round to midwicket. 16  from the 16th, but 12 an over was too much on this pitch for the others with Middlebrook hitting Shantry to long off where Cameron completed a great low catch to go for 4, 99-5.
White then hammered Lucas way over midwicket, over the groundsman's hut and out of the ground with bring up his 37 ball 50, but struggled to get the strike as Willey only succeeded in toe ending the ball to the men in the ring. White did have the last laugh in his fantastic innings, swinging the last ball of the match from Lucas effortlessly over the groundsman's hut at midwicket again as Northants ended 14 short, 128-5. White ended 62 from 42 ball with 1 four and four sixes. Mitchell took 2-29 but it was Ali's 14 run spell that got the match award. The win aids Worcestershire's quarter final push and all but eliminates Northants from the running.

A Tough Day

The 2nd day of the top of the table match between Middlesex and Northamptonshire at Lord's started with Middlesex 198-6 after a reduced first day. John Simpson and Toby Roland-Jones were batting and they quickly brought up the 200 with Simpson playing well and Roland-Jones hanging in to bring up the 50 partnership before Roland-Jones was bowled by James Middlebrook for 24. 236-7 and Steve Crook in to hit a quick 12 before edging Middlebrook to Steven Peters. Tim Murtagh then stuck around Simpson until lunch with Middlesex on 296-8, only 4 runs short of the next batting point.
The 300 came up as Simpson reached 50 off 131 balls before Murtagh was LBW to Chaminda Vaas for 27. Simpson finally fell in identical fashion for 61 to give Vaas 5-76 with Corey Collymore 5 not out and Middlesex 317, a good recovery but probably not enough runs.
The Northants innings got off to a quick start with Peters and Mal Loye looking at ease against the Middlesex bowlers who couldn't assert any pressure as the 50 partnership was raised and at tea the score was 78-0.
The problems continued after tea as none of Middlesex's 7 bowlers were effective as first Peters (99 balls) then Loye (101 balls) reached 50 and passed 100 without loss.
The 150 partnership came before Crook finally bowled a couple of troubling balls to Peters who eventually got a leading edge that Crook clung on to with a smart diving catch to go for 75, 158-1. Crook was to have two wickets in 7 balls as Rob White (4) fell over a pull shot and guided an edge to Dawid Malan at slip, 164-2. Loye (80*) and Alex Wakely (12*) saw out the rest of the day to leave Northants 188-2 only 128 runs behind Middlesex.

Derbyshire defy Newton's law

Having progressed to 364 all out in their first innings, Derbyshire set about asserting their authority against Northamptonshire at Northampton. Northants slumped to 12-2 with Rob White and Ben Howgego failed before a comeback was launched by Stephen Peters and Rob Newton. Newton was brutal with his drives as he went to 50 off 69 balls and then kicked on whilst Peters blocked at the other end before wicket finally fell at 151 when Peters edged Greg Smith's spin to Wayne Madsen for 46. Newton fell three overs later for 94 off 114 with 18 fours when he drove Mark Turner only for the ball to slide off the face to Martin Guptill at gully.
Light rain then forced the players off for tea and then it took an age for them to return, which eventually happened at 4:45. Andrew Hall and Mal Loye batted on but struggled to get the better of tight bowling from Turner, Smith and Tim Groenewald and Turner snared Loye for 6 after an hour (190-5). Hall and Niall O'Brien brought up the 200 before Groenewald had Hall lbw for 27. Chaminda Vaas (11) and O'Brien (14) then saw out the last 10 overs and avoided the follow-on to leave Northamptonshire 220-6 at the close, still 144 runs behind.