Durham ended Warwickshire’s 100 per cent record in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with an exhilarating one-run win from a wonderful, run-soaked game at Edgbaston.
The match featured two brilliant centuries. David Bedingham’s 152 (108 balls), supported by Alex Lees’ 66 (77 balls) and Tom Mackintosh (53, 47 balls) lifted Durham to an imposing 338 for eight. Olly Hannon-Dalby took three for 54 and now has 23 wickets at 10.43 apiece in this year’s One-Day Cup.
Bedingham batted beautifully but his innings was then matched by Ed Barnard who struck his maiden List A century (161, 152 balls) as Warwickshire replied with 337 for eight.
Will Rhodes (66, 93) and Ethan Brookes (31, 26) helped Barnard take the Bears close but Durham’s bowlers dug deep, led by Migael Pretorius (four for 50) and Jonathan Bushnell (three for 56) who bowled the last two overs with high composure and skill.
Their ice-cool nerve earned Durham’s third win of the group. Warwickshire, meanwhile, already through to the knockout phase, can still book a home semi-final if they beat Sussex at Hove on Tuesday.
Put in, Durham lost Michael Jones to the fifth ball when he inside-edged Hannon-Dalby to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess. Lees then gave the innings a solid platform with stands of 55 with Scott Borthwick and 67 with Bedingham.
Lees departed furious with himself when, having taken ten from successive balls from Henry Brookes, he lifted the next to mid-off. Bushnell fell first ball, to a fine leg-side catch by Burgess, and when Liam Trevaskis edged Hannon-Dalby to the keeper, Durham were wobbling at 156 for five.
Bedingham and Mackintosh played with freedom and verve to add 116 in 92 balls. Mackintosh struck four fours and two sixes in his maiden List A half-century while Bedingham passed his previous best in the format (104) with a six crunched over long on off Hannon-Dalby and then hit overdrive. He crashed 40 from his last ten balls, including three successive sixes off Craig Miles.
Warwickshire soon lost Rob Yates when he top-edged Pretorius to mid off but Barnard and Rhodes added 148 in 23 overs to keep the big home crowd interested.
Barnard posted his first List A ton from 106 balls but after Rhodes lifted George Drissell to long off, a cluster of wickets cranked up the pressure. Alex Davies spooned Pretorius to long on and Jake Bethell top-edged a slog at a good-length ball from Bushnell who then had Burgess caught at short third man.
Barnard needed help and Ethan Brookes supplied it perfectly with intelligent, skilful batting which no doubt had a few watching home fans wondering why on earth Warwickshire are allowing such a highly talented player leave for Worcestershire at the end of the season.
Barnard and Brookes added 85 in 53 balls and the latter departed caught at deep mid-wicket, with his team back in control. Forty needed from six overs came down to 20 from three.
When Barnard was caught at extra cover, 15 were needed from 13 balls. Pretorius bowled Jake Lintott in an excellent over which left Warwickshire needing nine from the last.
Bushnell bowled a fine last over of full length which denied the Bears the two boundaries they needed and closed out a truly memorable victory