A remarkable century from Will Rhodes secured a nail-biting three-wicket win for Durham against Glamorgan in a Metro Bank One Day Cup thriller at Gosforth.
Glamorgan made a positive start with the bat after being inserted, with Eddie Byrom and Zain ul Hassan both making fifties in an opening stand worth 142. Dan Douthwaite exploited on the platform set by the openers, blasting 45 from 18 balls, as the visitors made 326 for six.
Durham found themselves in a spot of bother chasing 327, with the hosts wobbling at 97 for six. Rhodes and Kasey Aldridge, who made a gutsy 78, gave Durham hope with a stand worth 145, and the former helped Durham complete a huge turnaround as they won by three wickets.
Durham won the toss and bowled first and the hosts’ opening bowlers offered limited run-scoring opportunities to the Glamorgan openers in the opening exchanges.
Glamorgan started to motor and ul Hassan and Byrom saw Glamorgan through the powerplay without loss. The duo’s partnership raced past the century mark and ul Hassan notched up his maiden List A fifty. Byrom followed suit as he passed fifty as well.
Colin Ackermann got the breakthrough as ul Hassan chipped one straight to cover. Byrom then fell soon after as Rhodes got the Glamorgan opener caught and bowled.
Callum Nicholls then started to motor as he picked up two sixes off a Shafiqullah Ghafari over, but Durham struck back as James Minto picked up the scalp of Will Smale. Rhodes was in the action once again as Nicholls holed out to long-off to hand the Durham man a second wicket.
Durham then picked up back-to-back poles in a Ben Stokes over, as Alex Horton was run out and Harry Hurle was bowled.
Douthwaite looked to take Glamorgan past 300, as he launched a Stokes ball over the ropes, and the all-rounder led his side to a total of 326 for six.
Durham’s chase got off to a poor start as they lost Alex Lees early on after he holed out to long-on, handing ul Hassan an early wicket.
Douthwaite then picked up two wickets in two balls and they were the key scalps of Emilio Gay and Stokes. Clark then fell as ul Hassan bowled the Durham opener.
Andy Gorvin increased Durham’s woe as he picked up the wicket of Ackermann, who chipped a delivery to midwicket. Ollie Robinson then fell as Jack Hope-Bell got him caught behind.
Aldridge looked to play his shots while the cause was seemingly lost for Durham and he built a budding partnership with Rhodes, who passed fifty as wickets fell around him.
Durham skipper Aldridge picked up his maiden List A half-century as Durham mounted a fightback. The pair got their side closer to the target, but there was calamity for the hosts as Aldridge was run out for a gutsy 78.
Rhodes passed three figures and along with Minto, he took his side over the line in the final over.