Durham defeated Derbyshire Falcons by 27 runs at Seat Unique Riverside to earn their second victory in as many games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
The home team was led by Graham Clark, who scored 89 points from 78 balls and had a 142-point opening combination with Alex Lees. However, Alex Thomson went 3 for 53 for the Falcons, which caused a middle-order collapse, and Liam Trevaskis’ career-high 76 to propel Durham to a respectable total of 333 for 8.
After excellent innings from Wayne Madsen and Brooke Guest, Derbyshire appeared to be in position to chase down the score. However, the visitors kept losing wickets, and Durham was able to secure their second victory of the year with four strikes from Migael Pretorius.
Durham made a measured start to the game after being inserted as Lees and Clark took some time to adjust to the new ball. Sam Conners and Suranga Lakmal dominated the early action, giving up only 23 runs in the first six overs.
To quicken the innings, Clark and Lees started to find their range against the Derbyshire change bowlers. The first three overs of Mark Watt were destroyed by the two players for 31 runs, including a flat six by Clark over the leg-side boundary.
Clark obtained his third listing. A fifty straight up to keep up his great form. Lees continued his teammate’s scoring streak with a second fifty-plus total, helping the hosts surpass the 100-run threshold in the process.
However, a miscommunication between Clark and Lees allowed the Falcons to retake the lead and tie the score at 62 after the left-hander was ejected. With Clark falling 11 runs short of a well-deserved century and David Bedingham and Ben McKinney suffering cheap losses, the home team lost ground from 142 without loss to 182 for four.
Thomson gave the guests control of the middle ground, putting the clamps and pressure on the hosts. To get rid of Scott Borthwick and Jonathan Bushnell, he struck twice in two balls. Trevaskis managed to survive the hat-trick ball and started to reassemble the innings.
A seventh-wicket stand of 80 runs off 61 balls by Trevaskis and Jones helped Durham pass the 300-run threshold. To ensure that the hosts capitalized on their promising start and gave Derbyshire a challenging chase in the afternoon, Trevaskis struck a career-best 76 runs without being bowled.
With Harry Came setting the tone, the visitors answered with early goals against Luke Robinson and Migael Pretorius. With a quick return catch to get rid of Luis Reece, Trevaskis broke the opening stand for 48.
While David Lloyd was forced out by Scott Borthwick for 30, bringing Derbyshire’s total to 105 for three, Came caused issues with a quick 33-ball 44 before he misplayed a drive down to George Drissell at third man.
With the addition of quick runs and the addition of Haider Ali in the middle, Madsen was able to hit two sixes off Borthwick. Before falling lbw to George Drissell, he scored fifty runs with Madsen for the fourth wicket.
Derbyshire maintained their run rate above seven per over after running at above seven at the halfway point despite the loss of wickets.
To ease his way to a 43-ball fifty, Madsen seized charge of the chase. The fifth and sixth Derbyshire wickets fell in consecutive deliveries, giving the impression that he and Brooke Guest were comfortable, but Pretorius brought Durham back into the match as the fifth and sixth Derbyshire wickets fell. Jones was chosen by Madsen, and Matty McKiernan was out after the first pitch.
With a perfect half-century, Guest kept the chase going and pressured the Durham bowlers. To shift the game in Durham’s favor, it took a spectacular diving catch from McKinney in the deep to get rid of him for 63, and it took Lees another to get rid of Thomson for a well-made 35. Pretorious and Bushnell took the final two Derbyshire wickets as the hosts were decisive at the end to win by 27 runs.