Date-stamped : 26 May97 - 06:15 Notts` pride is restored by Johnson By Neil Hallam at Trent Bridge Notts (280-6) bt Derbyshire (248-7) by 32 runs NOTTINGHAM`S newly acquired right to be called the capital city of sporting failure will soon be open to challenge if the county cricket club carry on like this. Nottingham Forest, Notts County and Nottingham rugby club were all relegated this month and Nottinghamshire began the new season with one championship win in 23 matches. Now, however, Nottinghamshire are a force renewed and the confidence acquired from two consecutive championship successes was evident as centuries from their captain, Paul Johnson, and Graeme Archer propelled them towards victory. Chris Adams purged himself of the disappointment of his continued exclusion from the England one-day squad with a bold 121 off 107 balls, including three sixes and eight fours, but a target of 281 for victory was well beyond Derbyshire. Never before have Nottinghamshire had two century- makers in one innings in this competition. Rarely, though, will they have faced bowling this accommodating on a pitch this obliging though the loss of both openers in the first four overs after losing the toss initially demanded some restraint from the third-wicket pair. Ashley Metcalfe played round a ball of full length and Matt Dowman sliced to gully but with Devon Malcolm rested, Phillip DeFreitas away with England and Dominic Cork a long- term injury absentee, the lack of experience in Derbyshire`s richly assorted eight-man attack soon invited Johnson and Archer to cut loose. Johnson hit four fours to reach his first half-century and added five more and a six in his second, and by the time he fell hooking he had made 117 off 92 balls. With Archer`s less violent first Sunday League hundred coming off 104 balls, with seven fours, the scoring rate flagged only a little. Chris Tolley fell swinging to leg, Noel Gie was yorked first ball and Lyndsay Walker hit across a straight one but Archer remained unbeaten as Nottinghamshire required Derbyshire to score at better than seven runs an over. For a time, when Adams had the support of Dean Jones in a stand worth 117 in 21 overs, Derbyshire were ahead of the clock. But once Jones had walked into a full toss from off- spinner Richard Bates, their hopes receded and the pursuit was purely theoretical by the time Adams, for whom this was a second century in limited-overs cricket this season, was fifth out, yorked aiming to leg. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)