Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner keep their cool to send Middlesex to victory over Derbyshire
Middlesex (230 & 329-7) beat Derbyshire (154 & 403) by three wickets
By Telegraph staff and agencies 7:55PM BST 23 Apr 2011
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Middlesex continued their impressive start to the season when half centuries from Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner carried them to a thrilling three-wicket victory.
Derbyshire looked favourites when the visitors slipped to 197 for six chasing 328 but Berg and Rayner turned the game with a stand of 97 in 24 overs.
Berg became Tony Palladino’s fourth victim when he had made 80 from 115 balls but Rayner hit an unbeaten 58 to secure Middlesex’s second win.
Middlesex had added only four runs to their overnight total of 145 for two when Dawid Malan pushed forward at the fifth ball of the morning from Tim Groenewald and was caught behind.
The home side were soon celebrating another success in the next over. Neil Dexter had scored only two when he was beaten by Palladino and trapped leg before to reduce the visitors to 154 for four .
Dan Housego and John Simpson began rebuilding the Middlesex innings but the scoring rate dropped considerably and Housego’s stubborn innings of 27 ended when he edged into the gloves of Tom Poynton.
Simpson and Berg had scored 21 in 12 overs when Simpson went for a big cut at Ross Whiteley but hit it straight to short cover where Dan Redfern held on. At lunch, Middlesex were 216 for six, 112 short of their target, and Berg came out determined to break the stranglehold of the bowlers.
He drove Wes Durston’s off-spin for six and when Derbyshire claimed the new ball, he cut the first delivery from Greg Smith past point to the boundary.
Berg had taken his side to within 34 runs of victory when he cut Palladino to backward point to give the seamer his ninth victim.
But Rayner shut the door firmly in Derbyshire’s face and drove Whiteley for two consecutive fours to win a pulsating contest.
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