Nathan Sowter five-for, Graham Clark century see Durham steamroll Northants
Durham 141 for 0 (Clark 102*) beat Northamptonshire 137 (Vasconcelos 52, Sowter 5-15) by ten wickets
Legspinner Nathan Sowter ran riot with career-best bowling figures of 5 for 15 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks have been humbled by Durham on this Vitality Blast conflict at Wantage Road.
Sowter bagged his maiden five-wicket haul, setting off a Steelbacks batting collapse of 5 for 17 to limit them to only 137 of their 20 overs. Opener Graham Clark then powered 102 off simply 49 balls (13 fours, 4 sixes) to document his first T20 century as Durham motored to their goal with 6.4 overs to spare to win by 10 wickets.
Sowter’s wickets had stemmed the tide after Ricardo Vasconelos (52) and Saif Zaib shared an enterprising 62-run partnership in 6.2 overs.
That stand got here after the Steelbacks misplaced dangermen Chris Lynn and David Willey within the house of 5 balls at first of their innings and gave them a robust platform of 98 for 3 at first of the 14th over earlier than Sowter ran amok.
Steelbacks skipper had Willey received the toss however was quickly ruing his resolution to bat first as Bas de Leede marked his Durham T20 Blast debut in model. First the Dutch worldwide’s inswing accounted for Australian energy hitter Lynn who had his off stump knocked again on 0 off the third ball of the innings. Then Willey, enjoying his 250th profession T20 recreation, was caught behind on 1 to depart the hosts stumbling on 2 for two.
Josh Cobb struck de Leede twice by means of level for 4 and top-edged him over the keeper for one more boundary earlier than his innings ended tamely when he provided Sowter a return catch off a full toss.
At this level the Steelbacks have been 36 for 3 on the finish of the powerplay, however Vasconcelos shortly picked up the mantle, twice powering Ben Raine by means of the covers. He was unafraid to go the aerial route which saved the fielders , benefiting on 15 when Luke Doneathy shelled a troublesome likelihood within the deep operating backwards. But he grew in authority, pulling Liam Trevaskis over deep sq. leg for six and scooping de Leede for 4.
Zaib performed the supporting position however quickly discovered the boundary with a stunning late reduce off Sowter. He had reached 16 when he was dropped off a full toss, known as a no-ball for top, earlier than pulling the free hit excessive over the Family Stand at backward sq. leg.
At this stage Steelbacks have been set for a sizeable whole, however the wheels got here off when Vasconcelos was caught behind off Sowter and Zaib adopted within the subsequent over caught at deep backward sq. off Raine.
Sowter then struck twice within the house of three balls to take away allrounders Tom Taylor and Rob Keogh, each lbw, earlier than he had Andrew Tye caught behind to provide him his fifth wicket. It was left to Trevaskis to mop up with two wickets within the remaining over.
Clark bought Durham off to a flier, smashing 24 off Josh Cobb’s first over, together with two large sixes both facet of the bottom earlier than placing Willey over mid-off for 4. He eased to his half-century off simply 21 deliveries as Durham moved to 77 on the finish of the powerplay.
Cumbrian-born Clark saved going, placing all spherical the bottom, surviving a pointy likelihood early in his innings and extra easy ones on 79 and 92. A few miscues landed secure however in any other case he seemed in full management, passing his earlier highest rating of 91 with an enormous six down the bottom.
Alex Lees was comfortable to play the supporting position, however discovered the ropes when he hit Tye for consecutive boundaries