Derbyshire beat Somerset as rain washes out Royal London Cup

Derbyshire beat Somerset by 29 runs at Taunton in the only Royal London Cup match to survive Sunday's rain.

Bad weather across the country forced four matches to be abandoned and two no results.

But the Duckworth-Lewis system ensured victory for Derbyshire, who reached 134-7 shortly before rain interrupted play, setting Somerset a revised target of 104 from a reduced 10 overs.

Capping a forceful bowling performance, Ben Cotton claimed two wickets in the final over to seal the win and both points for the visitors.

Elsewhere in Group A, a frustrated Gloucestershire were on 5-0 when the conditions brought a premature end to their reply to Yorkshire, having bowled the hosts out for 227 in exactly 50 overs at Scarborough.     

The away side only needed to score 20 without loss of a wicket in the opening ten overs of their innings to win the game under the Duckworth-Lewis system, thanks to an impressive bowling display that saw seamer Craig Miles take four for 29 from nine overs.

Will Rhodes and Gary Ballance, fresh from losing his place in England’s Ashes squad, attempted to recover an innings that had limited Yorkshire to 82-4 with a fifth-wicket stand of 46.

But Ballance was caught behind for 31, as Yorkshire stuttered to what Gloucestershire would have felt was a reachable target had the weather allowed a chase. 

Ballance later told Sky Sports HQ that he has been assured by the England selectors that he remains part of their plans, despite being replaced by his Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow for next week's third Ashes test.

"I was obviously gutted for a few days, but I've cleared my head and hopefully I can look forward now," he said.

"They (the selectors) said: 'We still want you in our side, we want you in our thoughts. Just go away and score some runs,' and hopefully it'll be sooner than later that I get back in the side."

In the only other Royal London Cup match to get underway, Nottinghamshire reached 83-3 from 23 overs against Glamorgan before the rain began to fall at Welbeck Cricket Club.

Glamorgan’s Jacques Rudolph invited Notts to bat first after winning the toss, and the bowlers enjoyed the better of the 90 minutes of play with the home side slumping to 23-3 early on.  

Alex Hales fell for just three runs in the fourth over, one day after hitting a century against Warwickshire.

But Brendan Taylor and Samit Patel, playing his 200th List A match, steadied the ship with a combined 60 when rain interrupted their fourth wicket partnership.  

The Group B match between Kent and Essex at Tunbridge Wells was the first game to be abandoned without a ball being bowled shortly after midday.