THE historic phrase, “the survival of the fittest”, usually attributed to Darwin, was in fact coined by Herbert Spencer, born less than half a mile from where the Derby County Ground was later developed.

Spencer’s notion, that those who adapt best will prosper, is still being proved, even in Twenty20 Cup cricket.

It will have surprised many, however, that it has taken canny county professionals only a week to work out ways of putting paid to the fond idea that this latest evolutionary variant would be about fours and sixes alone. Derbyshire’s seamers, on a slow pitch, bowled wholly within themselves, consistently taking pace off the ball, to strangle the Outlaws’ big-hitting line-up.

Having already posted the lowest score in the championship this year (79 against Essex), Nottinghamshire now recorded the poorest total (94 all out) of the new competition, and ten of those runs were overthrows. Nobody reached 20, three men were run out, two attempting highly improbable runs, and six fell bowled or leg-before.

Tom Lungley, one of a posse of five niggardly seamers that included the occasional slow-medium of Dominic Hewson and Michael Di Venuto, returned four for 13 and Dominic Cork’s tactics worked so well that he was able to place himself ostentatiously at slip in the tenth over. Shortly before, declining to 40 for five, the Outlaws had lost four men in 11 balls.

Even Nathan Dumelow’s off spin, belatedly introduced, brought him two wickets and Derbyshire were left to charge to victory with 51 balls to spare.Nottinghamshire bowled without apparent belief in their ability to make things difficult and claimed only the wicket of Cork, as Di Venuto reached an unbeaten 36 from 38 balls.