By Niall Hickman
RESULT – Durham won by 146 runs. Durham 349-7, Leicestershire 203 all out after 37.3 overs.
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Durham 2 points, Leicestershire 0 points.
Umpires – Graham Lloyd and Paul Baldwin.
Career-best figures in one-day cricket with bat and ball by Scott Borthwick secured a precious victory for Durham at Leicestershire.
Mark Stoneman’s side got back into the winning habit in the Royal London One-Day Cup with the skipper also leading the way with a quickfire 98 to set up a convincing 146-run victory at Grace Road.
Durham went into the clash knowing that only a victory would realistically keep their hopes of qualification for this season’s knock-out stages alive, but they bounced back from three successive defeats to record a thumping and morale-boosting victory over Leicestershire.
The win now means another success over Derbyshire on Monday week could well be enough to reach the last eight of a trophy they won at Lord’s last September.
That Derbyshire match looks set to be a real nail-biter, as either side could go through with a victory, but at least Durham have given themselves a chance of making the quarter-finals following a resounding win in the midlands, just two days after they were put to the sword by Gloucestershire.
Durham were without all-rounder Paul Collingwood again due to back spasms, and so coach Jon Lewis named an unchanged side from the one that was heavily beaten at Bristol.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field and Stoneman’s team got off to a flier, with the captain in fine form. After five overs they were 33-0, before Phil Mustard fell for 12, but there followed a match-winning partnership of 146 with Borthwick. Stoneman was imperious, lashing the ball to all parts of Grace Road before eventually falling two runs shy of a richly deserved ton, with the score on 198.
Borthwick continued his skipper’s outstanding work, before he was run out for 87 off just 112 balls. With the bedrock of considerable runs behind them, the Durham middle order made hay with Graham Clark, Ryan Pringle, John Hastings and Calum MacLeod all chipping in with valuable contributions.
Hastings was especially brutal, hitting 27 off just 14 balls. Durham raced from 237-3 after 40 overs to 349-7 at the close of their innings, exactly the sort of acceleration coach Lewis would have wanted. Ollie Freckingham was especially expensive, going for more than 10 runs an over as Durham posted their second highest ever one-day total, just four runs behind their previous best.
Gordon Muchall made 9 not out at the death, but he was to save the best for his rarely-seen bowling.
It was a daunting ask for the home side and although Leicestershire were initially keeping up with the required rate, they lost two early wickets with Ned Eckersley and Angus Robson both back in the hutch before the end of the sixth over, with opening bowlers Chris Rushworth and John Hastings both striking.
In his second over Usman Arshad pulled up injured, which meant Muchall was handed the ball for his first bowl in one-day cricket since 2010. Pretty soon he was celebrating as Aadil Ali missed a straight one and became Muchall’s first one-day wicket since 2003!
With the hosts 49-3 it looked all over, but Niall O’Brien and Lewis Hill had other ideas. For a while there was a degree of nervous tension in the match, but from the moment O’Brien nicked Borthwick to Mustard for 50 following a 99-run partnership, the result was never seriously in doubt.
Mark Cosgrove and Andrea Agathangelou went cheaply, but the prize wicket of Hill fell to Borthwick for 86, with Leicestershire in disarray at 173-7.
Borthwick mopped up the tail in rapid time, to end with outstanding figures of 5-38 off 7.3 overs, with Rushworth the pick of the rest with 3-38 off seven overs.
Coach Lewis said: “I’m delighted for Scott as he showed real ability with bat and ball to collect his best ever figures with both in the same match. That is an outstanding effort.
“The skipper got us off to a great start and with the foundation of big runs behind us the middle order could really get cracking. Then the bowlers had something really strong to defend and they all did their jobs very well. It is a shame we have picked up another injury with Usman Arshad but we will soldier on.
“The final game in our group is now a big one. It is Derbyshire at home and we know that a victory could see us through. That is what we will focus on nearer the time.”
Looking ahead to the LV County Championship clash at Scarborough Lewis has named a 13-man squad, with England Under-19 star Jack Burnham coming in for his first senior call-up and there is a recall for Graham Onions and Michael Richardson after both were sidelined through injury.
Lewis said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome in Jack to the fold and so too Graham and Michael. Graham has been bowling very tidily and accurately in the nets.”
Durham squad v Yorkshire – Stoneman, Clark, Borthwick, Collingwood, Richardson, Muchall, Pringle, Hastings, Harrison, Onions, Rushworth, Burnham, Jennings.
Last meeting in LV County Championship – June28 at Emirates Durham ICG – Yorkshire won by an innings and 47 runs. Yorkshire 557-6 declared, Durham 208 and 302 all out.