DESPITE 89 from Wes Durston, Derbyshire were beaten by five wickets in their NatWest t20 Blast match against Leicestershire at Chesterfield.
Without Durston, the Falcons would have been virtually out of the game at the midway stage as they were bowled out for 143 after being put in at Queen's Park. The last wicket fell off the final ball with four falling in the last five balls for two runs.
Durston made his runs off 63 with 11 fours and a six and it was the fifth-highest individual score by a Derbyshire player in the competition – but he was dropped on 25 at midwicket in the fifth over.
By that time, Derbyshire were already two wickets down as Anthony Ireland took two in his first seven balls without conceding a run. He finished with a career-best 5-22.
Chesney Hughes and Gareth Cross were the first to fall and Wayne Madsen followed in the seventh over, lbw attempting to reverse sweep Scott Styris for three at 56-3.
Marcus North made 20 to keep Durston company in a fourth-wicket stand of 56 in nine overs but he was caught and bowled by Jigar Naik, then Scott Elstone was caught at deep cover for nine before Durston was caught at long off later in the same over, the 19th.
That was 137-6 and after Charlie Shreck was pulled out of the attack following a second waist-high full toss two balls into the last, Ireland came on to take three wickets in four balls before the last delivery brought a run out.
Leicestershire also lost two wickets in their first six overs as Niall O'Brien was caught at short extra cover for 10 and Josh Cobb (19) sliced a cut that was very well taken by Alex Hughes running back at point.
That was 39-2 but Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley put on 52 in seven overs before Eckersley rashly skied a catch to long on for 21 at 91-3 in the 13th.
Matt Boyce followed for 18 and Scott Styris for eight but Smith hit the winning boundary off the second ball of the 20th over to finish with 65 not out.
