Durham (291/7; Jennings 101, Richardson 68, Collingwood 53*; 2 points) beat Northants Steelbacks (272/8; Rossington 69, Levi 66; Coughlin 3/53; 0 points) by 19runs
Keaton Jennings & Michael Richardson continued their superb form with a stand of 158 to propel Durham to a 19-run Royal London One-Day Cup win against the Northants Steelbacks at Emirates Riverside.
Jennings’ second century of the series took his aggregate to 403 from five games and Richardson boosted his tally to 351 by making 68 as Durham moved up to fourth in the North Group.
The pair, along with Paul Collingwood’s unbeaten 53, underpinned a solid effort to reach 291/7 on a huge outfield and beneath grey skies.
Northants’ challenge looked to have ended when a brilliant stop and direct hit from extra cover by Collingwood ran out Richard Levi for 66.
But at 124/5 in reply to 291/7, Adam Rossington and Steven Crook revived them with a stand of 99 in 16 overs.
Rossington reached 50 off 43 balls and with 89 needed off ten the balance was tipping when he lofted the first two balls of a Chris Rushworth over for six over long off and backward square.
But on 69 he tried a scoop shot off Paul Coughlin and lost his middle stump, leaving Crook with too much to do & he holed out at deep mid-wicket for 48 in the 48th over.
Coughlin finished with figures of 3/53 while there was also a maiden List A wicket for George Harding, who trapped Graeme White LBW.
Jennings & Richardson combined after the early wicket of Stephen Cook and though the run-rate slowed after their departures, it was picked up brilliantly by Collingwood with an unbeaten 53 off 43 balls as the last seven overs yielded 64.
Collingwood continued to have an impact as he bowled straight through his ten overs to take 1/47 and ran out Levi with a sublime one-handed stop, pick up and direct hit to remove the leg stump at the non-strikers’ end.
Jennings on-drove Rob Keogh for his fifth four to reach 50 off 66 balls, one faster than his partner, and on 52 Richardson upper-cut Richard Gleeson over third man for his second six.
At 159 after 30, 80 had come off the previous ten overs. Jennings helped a poor ball from Sanderson to fine leg for his 13th four to reach his century off 105 balls.
Both batsmen departed in quick session. A firmly-struck cut by Richardson lodged in the hands of White low down at backward point then Jennings tried to hit Sanderson down the ground and miscued to deep mid-on.
Durham lost momentum and slipped to 227/5 before Collingwood lifted the total beyond Northants’ reach, despite the best efforts of Levi & Rossington.
Trent Bridge & Nottinghamshire await in a day-night fixture on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports, in a must-win encounter as Durham chase a top-three qualification spot.