Friday's domestic cricket

T20 Blast round up 

LANCASHIRE BEAT DURHAM BY FOUR RUNS Lancahire 176-3 v Durham 172-5 

Agonisingly close for Durham in their pursuit of 177.

They needed 18 off the final over, bowled by Nathan Buck for Lancashire.

Paul Coughlin and Keaton Jennings couldn't find the boundary and even with a no ball towards the end, they needed a six off the last ball just to get a tie.


A big blow to Durham's quarter-final hopes, a consolation win for defending champions Lancashire.


SURREY BEAT SUSSEX BY SIX WICKETS Sussex 153-6 v Surrey 154-4 

Surrey are still in with a good shout of qualifying for the quarter-finals as they beat Sussex easily by six wickets.

Chris Morris finishes the game with a six. Sussex are level with Surrey on 12 points but have an inferior run-rate to their fourth-placed opponents.


It's all going down to the final week for these two.


ESSEX BEAT KENT BY 33 RUNS Essex 190-2 v Kent 157 

Essex win "The Battle of the Bridge" at Canterbury after racking up an impressive total and then taking wickets at regular intervals.

Only Darren Stevens (33) looked a threat for the hosts as 191 was always beyond them.


Graham Napier finishes with 3-29 as Essex have every chance of a quarter-final berth with two games left to play.


NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BEAT BIRMINGHAM BY SIX WICKETS
Birmingham 172-2 v Nottinghamshire 173-4 

It went down to the first ball of the last over, but the Outlaws have got the win they need to seal a home tie in the quarter-final.

Sure, it was Brendan Taylor who scored the match-winning single, but it was his partner Greg Smith (52 not out), who oversaw the run-chase superbly.

He didn't panic when Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels fell in quick succession, nor when Samit Patel went early. Instead, his well-paced 31-ball innings was just what the doctor ordered.


As for Birmingham Bears, they will have to regroup quickly as their place in the last eight is now far from certain.  


MIDDLESEX BEAT HAMPSHIRE BY 43 RUNS Middlesex 181-6 v Hampshire 138

Middlesex register a third successive victory in the South Group to strengthen their grip on third place.

Spinner Ryan Higgins finishes with the rather impressive figures of 5-13.

A couple of wickets also for England seamer Steven Finn on his return to county action. 


Hampshire have little to take back from this game and will be desperate for the end of the group stage this time next week.


DERBYSHIRE BEAT WORCESTERSHIRE BY 29 RUNS 
Derbyshire 192-5 v Worcestershire 163 

It's all over at the County Ground.

A brilliant throw from Wayne Madsen allows Shiv Thakor to run out Charlie Morris and complete a convincing win for the hosts.

The bottom line for Worcestershire was that they lost wickets too frequently to threaten the Falcons.


That will help Derbyshire in their bid to reach the quarter-finals, but Worcestershire's hopes are over.


GLAMORGAN BEAT SOMERSET BY SEVEN WICKETS
Somerset 152 v Glamorgan 156-3

Glamorgan are through to the quarter-finals! And how fitting that it's the captain Jacques Rudolph who puts them there with a sweep shot to the boundary.


So there we have it, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan are definitely through from the South Group - can Middlesex join them this evening?


YORKSHIRE BEAT NORTHANTS BY 75 RUNS Yorkshire 215-6 v Northants 140 

Yorkshire keep their hopes of a place in the T20 Blast quarter-finals alive with a comfortable victory over Northamptonshire.

Graeme White is the last man to go, bowled by Azeem Rafiq - incredibly still with 28 balls to go!


Courtesy of Durham's defeat by Lancashire, 2013 champions Northants go through to the last eight despite the loss at Headingley.



Gloucestershire 183 & 215: Klinger 54; McKay 3-43, Raine 3-54
Leicestershire 218 & 181-4: Horton 73, Cosgrove 56

Leicestershire won by six wickets

Leicestershire climbed to fourth in Division Two after wrapping up a six-wicket victory over Gloucestershire inside three days at Cheltenham.

Clint McKay took three wickets in nine balls as Gloucestershire collapsed from their overnight 133-4 to 215 all out to leave Leicestershire 181 to win.

But after slipping to 16-2, Paul Horton hit 73 and captain Mark Cosgrove 56 to steer them to victory.

Gloucestershire remain third, eight points behind leaders Essex.

Leicestershire are only three points worse off after collecting their third win of the season, with both sides in the thick of the hunt for the one promotion place this summer.