THE storybook ending was already beginning to look a little far-fetched by the time last man Kevin Dean strode to the wicket for Derbyshire for the last time on Saturday.

There was still a chance, however, that the 32-year-old could yet bow out in his final game for the county with a heroic re-enactment of his finest hour with the bat – striking the winning runs against Australia in 1997.

With only one wicket in hand, the Phantoms needed 30 runs off 22 balls to beat Warwickshire in their last Pro40 League match of the season, which was a difficult but not impossible target.

Unfortunately, before Dean had even faced a ball, his partner, Wayne White, tried to clear the infield and instead provided a simple catch for Ant Botha at mid on.

All thoughts of what would have been a suitably happy ending for Dean disappeared and Derbyshire lost the match by 29 runs.

But the failure was not Dean's or even White's because Derbyshire had made another mess of chasing down a winning score in one-day cricket before they had come to the crease.

Add another entry to the list of victory chances Derbyshire have blown in this competition. They certainly should have won against Surrey and Leicestershire, might have had better than the tie against Yorkshire and absolutely should have beaten the Bears.

This is not to say that Warwickshire's 229-5 was not a good score. Tim Ambrose batted superbly well to lead his side with an unbeaten 111 and the task was a testing one for the Phantoms.

Derbyshire made a poor start at 33-3 but it soon became clear that Wavell Hinds was in good touch and a partnership of 50 in nine overs with the increasingly impressive Dan Redfern set the home side back on track.

It was a pity for Redfern that he was caught behind for 27 but 83-4 in the 17th over left a simple game plan for Derbyshire – keep Hinds company and let the hard-hitting West Indian do the rest.

Hinds struck five sixes, all of them off Botha's left-arm spin, as he passed his previous best score for Derbyshire.

He looked so impressively good as the asking-rate fell to a run a ball that all he needed from his partners was to nudge the singles and feed him as much of the strike as they could but, in turn, John Sadler, Jamie Pipe and Graham Wagg got out to unnecessarily ambitious strokes.

Running out of support, Hinds was out for 84 in the 34th over when a full-length ball from Jonathan Trott knocked over his off stump. He faced 97 balls and also hit six fours but, at 176-8, the chance of victory exited with him.

Dean bowled straight through his eight overs after Derbyshire had won the toss and produced a typically awkward spell. He made Trott his final victim – lbw, of course – and might have added more wickets but 1-24 was a good way to go out.

Wagg claimed 3-34 but a fourth-wicket stand of 179 in 29 overs between Ambrose and Darren Maddy gave Warwickshire a huge lift.

Rikki Clarke faced only five balls on his return to the County Ground – he was caught at long on off the last ball of the innings – and did not bowl at all but this day was not about him.

It was about Dean and another poor Derbyshire attempt to finish the job.