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12th August 2013

Dynamos Cement Top Spot

Durham cemented to the top of Group B following an eight-wicket victory over Scotland in a rain affected Yorkshire Bank 40 clash at Titwood.

Scotland won the toss and elected to bat first and got off to a decent start as openers Hamish Gardiner and Freddie Coleman defended stoutly from a great spell of bowling from Graham Onions.

The duo, after a rain delay, moved the Saltires to 50 without loss before Gareth Breese broke the partnership as he clean bowled Coleman for 24.

Gardiner followed a few overs later for 23 in the same fashion with this time Scott Borthwick getting the wicket.

Richie Berrington and Calum MacLeod stabilised their innings with some careful shot selection as the moved the host past the 100 mark against the Durham spinners.

However, the Dynamos hit back through Ben Stokes who bowled MacLeod for 33, when he tried to up the ante and Gordon Goudie fell two overs to Paul Collingwood, who trapped him in front lbw for five.

Stokes struck again in the next over to remove Saltires skipper Preston Mommsen and he and Collingwood combined to get the wicket of Berrington for 39 as the hosts struggled to finish on 161.

After a rain delay and chasing revised total, Mark Stoneman and Phil Mustard came out for the Durham innings and the skipper took the attack to the Scotland bowlers racking up early boundaries .

Stoneman was cruising at a strike rate of over 100, smashing the Saltires bowlers to all parts of the ground, guiding the Dynamos to the 50 run mark before the rains came again, two balls short of the minimum time needed to force a result.

Fortunately, the rain cleared and with another revised target of 104, Mustard and Stoneman continued their assault, as the wicket keeper cleared the rope with three massive sixes to leave the Dynamos within striking distance of the target.

Mustard fell going for one big shot too many off the bowling of Moneeb Iqbal when he was clean bowled for 30, while Gordon Muchall departed in the same over for a second-ball duck.

However, Stoneman (54no from 49)and Ben Stokes (13no from 8) got Durham over the line with some solid hitting to reach the victory target with 23 ball to spare.