Last Thursday, David Hussey, who has not played international cricket and is not even one of Australia’s 25 centrally-contracted men, hit 14 sixes, the Nottinghamshire record, in his 275 against Essex. His next innings, yesterday, delivered 17 minutes of glorious mayhem.

Ticking off the points of the compass, he hammered five sixes in succession off Greg Smith and made it seven from eight legitimate balls when he set about Ant Botha, another South African, next over. Botha’s illegal ball was a head-high full toss, which even Hussey had to evade.

A match reduced to 13 overs per side eventually began ten minutes after Derby County’s winning goal at Wembley but the Phantoms failed to draw inspiration. Hussey’s 56 from 20 balls left a target of 171 but Derbyshire were four for nine by the third over with both their own Australians out to Mark Ealham.

Ealham did not concede a run until his ninth ball, effectively sealing the match, and Botha’s counter-attacking 47 was never a realistic threat. Nottinghamshire, now second in their group, are a point clear of Leicestershire and Durham, their next two opponents.