Date-stamped : 25 Sep96 - 18:11 County Championship 1996 Derbyshire v Durham County ground, Derby 19, 20, 21 September 1996 Adams makes point By Neil Hallam at Derby First day of four: Derbyshire (136-2) trail Durham (142) by six runs CHRIS ADAMS, arguably the most surprising omission from the England A squad to tour Australia, rebuked the selectors by taking his first-class aggregate to 1,674 runs with an unbeaten 77 as Derbyshire sustained hopes of runners-up place in the County Championship. Adams`s runs came off only 56 balls and included 13 fours and a remarkable square-driven six. Adrian Rollins was torpedoed by a shooter and Kim Barnett perished on the hook, but Adams looked from the start like a man with a point to prove, sprinting past fifty for the 13th time this season off only 40 balls and sharing with Dean Jones a stand which rattled up 89 runs in 15 overs. It was all in stark contrast to Durham`s meagre 142 in 45.1 overs, a margin of 22,000 in prize money between the highest and lowest finishes possible for Derbyshire no doubt contributing to a marked difference in body language between the sides. Phillip DeFreitas, who ended with six for 50, moved one late to add to John Morris`s travails, Jimmy Daley`s patience cracked with a florid drive and Durham were grateful for the spirit of David Cox and Mel Betts as Andrew Harris swept away the tail. From the rest there was little to challenge the impression that Durham will be glad to see the back of a chastening season made even more miserable by yesterday`s announcement that Darren Blenkiron and Shaun Birbeck had been suspended pending police inquiries into an incident in which two club cars were allegedly vandalised. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) ====>Day 2 Second day of four: Durham (142 & 206-5) lead Derbyshire (256) by 92 runs STEWART Hutton`s unbeaten, 4hr 85 provided the rallying point for Durham to salvage a modicum of self-respect from the prospect of a two-day defeat after Derbyshire had claimed a first- innings lead of 114 on a pitch of uneven bounce at Derby, writes Neil Hallam. Durham, already condemned to a third wooden spoon in five seasons, were not well-placed to extend the contest at 73 for three but showed commendable spirit to reach 206 for five as Hutton stayed at the crease to help David Cox reach fifty off 49 balls, including eight fours. John Morris`s duck made it only 70 runs from his last dozen innings but Jimmy Daley and Paul Collingwood were durable allies for Hutton as the left-hander passed 50 for the first time since June and punctuated a painstaking effort with 10 fours. Dean Jones defied an ankle injury to renew Derbyshire`s footings with 77 after Mel Betts took the first four wickets, including Chris Adams for 81 with the fourth ball. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) ====>Day 3 Derbyshire dogged by doubt By Neil Hallam at Derby Third day of four: Derbyshire (256 & 220-2) beat Durham (142 & 332) by 8 wkts THERE were as many questions as answers for Derbyshire as they strode towards the ninth win they needed to stake their claim to second place and a 30,000 share of the championship prize money. A season in which performance far outstripped expectation provided the ideal response to those within the club who bridled at the cost of recruiting the two Australians, captain Dean Jones and coach Les Stillman. But other question marks still hung over the County Ground as Chris Adams` second half-century of the match steered Derbyshire towards a victory target of 219 following a timely demonstration of competitive character from Durham. Should Jones have declared earlier at Taunton, where Derbyshire ran out of time with Somerset eight wickets down two weeks ago? Would Derbyshire have beaten Warwickshire had not Dominic Cork`s fractured shoulder left them with only three bowlers? What more could Adams have done to get into the England A squad than score 1,742 first-class runs? And, most crucially of all, will this season`s advances be dissipated by strife behind the scenes? Nobody in an official capacity will comment but it is no secret to members that, despite this season`s success and a remarkable upturn in the county`s finances, all is not sweetness and light in the committee-room. It was even being whispered among supporters yesterday that Jones and Stillman might reconsider their futures if chairman Mike Horton does not emerge from an unhealthy situation with his authority - and theirs - reaffirmed. Derbyshire`s command on the pitch was certainly questioned while Durham, having trailed by 114, reached 332, their best score since June. Stewart Hutton`s patient 86 ended in laggardly pursuit of a second run to third man but David Cox`s luck and pluck had Derbyshire looking unusually ragged and nobody more so than Devon Malcolm. The former England fast-bowler ended the season with a best-ever haul of 82 wickets but 11 overs cost 61 to give him three for 141 towards an aggregate of 14 for 799 in Derbyshire`s last four matches. Cox perished as he had prospered, with a full-blooded swing of the bat, his 91 runs only four less than his career-best and enough to leave him with a higher aggregate and average than either John Morris or Mike Roseberry, Durham`s two expensive batting imports. Durham, anxious to avoid becoming only the fourth county to complete a season without a victory since 1946 - the others being Nottinghamshire in 1967, Glamorgan in 1979 and Warwickshire in 1982 - saw their hopes flicker when Kim Barnett fell to the second ball of the Derbyshire innings but Adams took back control and victory was well in range when bad light intervened at 140 for two. Jones, due to play for Victoria this winter, is to undergo surgery on an ankle ligament injury suffered in July when he returns to Australia. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)