Sunday's T20 Blast

Worcestershire v Durham


Richard Oliver scored an unbeaten half-century to guide the Worcestershire Rapids to a five-wicket win over the Durham Jets in their T20 Blast North Group match.


The Jets got off to a slow start as openers Mark Stoneman and Phil Mustard struggled to time the ball off the slow surface at New Road.

Stoneman departed for just 12 when he was caught by Daryl Mitchell for 12, which brought Calum MacLeod to the crease.


Mustard and MacLeod found rhythm at the crease to guide the Jets past the 50-run mark, which included two big sixes from Mustard off the bowling of Mitchell. However, their stand was to end when MacLeod was run out for 17 by Brett D'Oliveira with a direct hit.

Paul Collingwood brought impetus to the crease and he added 16 runs before he was caught on the boundary trying to hit Saeed Ajmal out of the ground, while Mustard departed two balls later for 35 to further stall the Durham innings.

Ajmal put the clamps on any attempt to accelerate the run rate despite the best efforts of Ryan Pringle (22), but the Jets could only post 127-9 off their 20 overs.


Oliver got the Rapids' reply off to a solid start as he found the boundary in the early overs of the innings, but Chris Rushworth hit back when he bowled Mitchell for two.


Tom Kohler-Cadmore helped keep his side up with the run rate as he ensured to keep Oliver on strike, who was the only player to read the pitch as he picked off the Durham bowlers with ease.


Collingwood snagged the wicket of Kohler-Cadmore while Colin Munro fell for one to Pringle to bring the Jets back into game.


However, a partnership of 51 between Oliver and D'Oliveira put the Rapids on the brink of victory before the home side managed to get over the line in the in 19th over with five wickets in hand.


The Rapids remain in second place in the North Group, while Durham also remain in fourth place after 11 matches.



Derbyshire v Northamptonshire


Mohammad Azharullah bowled a miserly final over to guide the Northants Steelbacks to a three-run victory by the Duckworth-Lewis method in their T20 Blast match against the Derbyshire Falcons.


The Steelbacks got off to an excellent start in their innings as openers Richard Levi and Josh Cobb found the boundary with regularity.


The visitors raced past the 50-run mark as both players looked in imperious form at the crease, while the Falcons bowlers failed to get anything out of the pitch.

Levi was the first to depart as he fell lbw to Shiv Thakor for 42 when he tried to heave a shot across the line to break the partnership at 86-1. Cobb lasted another over before he was lbw to Will Durston for 48, in an innings which included three sixes.


Alex Hughes stalled the Northamptonshire innings when he snagged the quick wickets off Ben Duckett and Alex Wakeley to dent the home side's hopes of a huge total.


Wayne White then added the scalps of Adam Rossington and Rory Kleinveldt for ducks to put the Falcons in command, but Steven Crook and Rob Keogh mounted a late charge to fire the Steelbacks to 155-8 off their 20 overs.


Rain fell during the intermission which saw the match reduced the Derbyshire reply reduced to 18 overs and moved the target down to 144.


Durston and Hamish Rutherford powered the Falcons to a rapid start to their innings as they raced past the 50-run mark in just the sixth over.


Rutherford was the first to depart for 20 as he was caught by Cobb off the bowling of Graeme White, while Chesney Hughes fell first ball to the bowling of Cobb.


Durston ensured that Derbyshire kept up with the run rate, but his departure put them in trouble at 102-4 with six overs remaining in the innings.


Tom Poynton and Scott Elstone rallied the innings to leave the Falcons needing nine off the final over for victory.


However, Azharullah held his nerve for the Steelbacks in the final over to guide his side to a three-run win.