Bermuda batsmen succumbed to the spin of Richard Sladdin yesterday as the 24-year-old bowler claimed five wickets in the second consecutive game to help visiting Derbyshire hand Somerset CC a 69-run defeat at Somerset.

It was the third straight win by Derbyshire in their six-game tour.

The left-arm spinner followed up Tuesday's haul of five for 18 against a Bermuda Under 25 Select XI by taking five for 26 in this game, but he was not the only hero for the English county side.

Number three batsman John Morris also proved to be in fine form for the English team by scoring 80 runs and joining opener Peter Bowler (58) in a solid second-wicket stand that put on 122 after they had lost the other opener, skipper Kim Barnett, with only 13 runs on the board.

Barnett was on 10 when 18-year-old fast bowler Gary Williams had him caught by Andre Manders.

Derbyshire were assured of reaching a respectable total once their innings was stabilised by Bowler and Morris during the second-wicket stand.

The pair fulfilled their dreams of getting much needed pre-season batting practice with both producing some flourishing strokes.

Morris was the aggressor, slamming nine fours and four sixes while facing just 66 balls during his stay of 89 minutes.

The stand ended with the total at 135 when Morris, attempting a second run after taking a single, saw James Swan make a fine return to wicket-keeper Cordell Gilbert to run him out.

Bowler, who was a little more subdued than Morris, stuck around and when he was dismissed with the score 170-4, the foundation for a useful total had been laid. Playing a master anchor role, he struck four fours and a six off 113 balls, staying at the wicket for 153 minutes.

Fortunately for the local team, no other batsmen were able to stay around too long although Tim O'Gorman scored 20.

The bright spot for the home team was the bowling of Williams, who was strangely restricted to bowling just three overs during the recent tour of Barbados by the Bermuda national team after being taken there for experience.

Proving what he was capable of accomplishing when given the opportunity, Williams finished with three for 38 from 10 overs including two maidens.

Somerset's batting had two periods of stability, the first coming when opener Ferdinand Thorne (27) and Andre Manders (42) put on 52 runs for the second wicket and the second when Manders and Jeff Richardson (25) added 51 for the third wicket.

The other batsmen offered little resistance, offering neither imagination nor technique on most occasions.

Derbyshire had to be concerned, though, when Manders and Richardson were settling in well, taking the score to 100 for three and finding the boundary with some forceful strokes.

But Sladdin proved to be Derbyshire's trump card. When he was brought back for a second spell he had Richardson caught on the mid-wicket boundary with his third ball. In the next over he dismissed James Pace (6) and Devon Wade (0) to virtually seal victory for the visitors.

When Manders was dismissed by Warner the score was 124 for six and all hope lost. He struck seven fours and faced 68 balls.

Allan Warner, a right-arm fast bowler, finished with two for 28 from nine overs.

MAD SCRAMBLE -- Derbyshire opening batsmen Peter Bowler (58) hurried to get his foot back inside the batting crease during yesterday's action. He failed to do so before Somerset's wicket-keeper Cordell Gilbert was able to whip off the bails in the tour game at Somerset CC.