Durham 190/5 (20) beat Worcestershire Rapids 168ao (19.5)
A brutal cameo from Michael Jones helped Durham to a 22-run win against the Worcestershire Rapids in the Vitality Blast.
Jones smashed 39 from 17 balls at the Seat Unique Riverside to help Durham to a big total of 190 for five, with the Scottish international capitalising on a good platform set by Ollie Robinson who made 41.
The visitors’ chase was led by an impressive 45 from Kashif Ali, but a good Durham bowling performance spearheaded by Ben Raine meant that the Rapids fell short.
Durham are now in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time since 2018, but the Rapids face an uphill challenge to qualify having lost their last six in the competition.
Having won the toss, the hosts chose to bat and Graham Clark got the innings off to the perfect start as he carved one through the covers for four. Skipper Alex Lees then got the first six of the night when he smashed a Josh Cobb ball over the long-on boundary.
The Rapids then fought back after a tough start with Lees and Clark departing for 22 and 24 respectively.
Robinson and Colin Ackermann used the large dimensions at Chester-le-Street to their advantage, as the Rapids restricted the boundary count in the middle overs.
Ackermann felt the run-scoring squeeze and Brett D’Oliveira was the beneficiary as the Durham man mistimed a slog sweep and was caught on the boundary for 19.
Robinson started to tick and smashed a D’Oliveira ball for six as Durham passed 100, however the Rapids captain struck back as he bowled Ashton Turner for 20.
Robinson then struck two sixes from a Brookes over but he went for one too many as he skied one to long-on for 41.
That didn’t stop the hosts’ barrage as Jones smashed one out the ground and he then hit 24 from the final over to finish unbeaten on 39 and the hosts finished on 190 for five.
The visitors had a tough task to chase 191 and they struggled to get going initially, as they picked up just 10 runs from the first two overs.
D’Oliveira then departed at the hands of Bas de Leede, who coaxed an edge from the Rapids skipper and Robinson was on hand to take the catch behind the stumps.
Ali, who led his side to an impressive win at this ground in the County Championship earlier this week, looked to get his side going alongside Cobb and they started to make a dent into the target.
Ali then smashed a Sowter ball down the ground for six and followed that with one into the stands.
However, Raine picked up the key wicket of Ali for 45, with Durham’s top wicket taker bowling the impressive opener.
Then the hosts got the dangerous Adam Hose for just seven, after he was brilliantly caught on the boundary by Ackermann off the bowling of Sowter.
The experienced Cobb was then dropped on 25 by Sowter as the Rapids continued to live dangerously but the leg-spinner bounced back from the drop as he picked up the wicket of Brookes.
Cobb then departed for 39 as he was bowled by Ben Dwarshuis, but Gareth Roderick hit a six over the legside boundary to give his side a chance however he fell to Raine for 18 to leave the visitors staring down the barrel of defeat.
Late wickets from Dwarshuis, de Leede and Raine saw the hosts home comfortably, winning by 22 runs.