Result: Durham 2nd XI (366 & 71/0; Clark 56*) beat MCC Unis (263 & 169; Arshad 6/35) by ten wickets
Scorecard here
Graham Clark’s 19-ball 56 blasted Durham into the Second XI Championship final after a thumping ten-wicket win against MCC Unis.
Chasing 67 to win, the opener closed the show within seven overs to book a final against Middlesex at Emirates Riverside starting on Tuesday, 6 September.
Clark scored an incredible 42 from his final nine deliveries and hit the final four for consecutive sixes, leaving Jack McIver with figures of 0/24 off 0.4 overs.
Earlier, MCC Unis were bowled out for 169 having recovered from 85/7.
Usman Arshad added to his overnight haul and soon completed his five-for, eventually finishing with 6/35 from 16 overs.
Alex Thomson made a fight of it, scoring 53 from 44 balls, but found himself lacking supporting with the end in sight.
He was the last man out, becoming Brydon Carse’s second wicket after the pace bowler briefly resumed bowling duties towards the end of the innings.
Close, Day Two: MCC Unis (263 & 47/4; Arshad 3/13) trail Durham 2nd XI (366; Arshad 105, Clark 91; Owen 5/66) by 56 runs
Live scorecard here
A century and three late wickets for Usman Arshad put the Second XI well on top against MCC Unis at South North CC.
He and Graham Clark put on 112 for the third wicket to put Durham ahead of the game.
Contributions off 44 by Brydon Carse and 32 from Asher Hart boosted the lead up to 103 on the first innings.
And Arshad struck three times in six overs at the end of Day Two, leaving Durham with a great chance of victory that would secure their spot in the Second XI Championship final against South Group winner Middlesex.
Nightwatchman George Harding made ten before the ensuing partnership between Arshad & Clark moved the game along quickly.
The opener fell nine shy of his century but Arshad reached it before his 135-ball knock was ended following the wicket of captain James Weighell, who made 24 in a typically dashing innings.
Carse and Asher Hart added 59 for the sixth wicket to move the lead above 50 and some lower-order runs took that above 100.
With 12 overs left to play, Arshad removed the first three batsmen before Sam Grant added another to his match haul, leaving Durham on the cusp of victory on the final day.
Close, Day One: Durham (30/1) trail MCC Unis (263; Akram 77; Grant 3/23, Arshad 3/46) by 233 runs
Live scorecard here
Usman Arshad and Sam Grant took three wickets each as MCC Unis were bowled out for 263 on Day One of the Second XI Championship match at South North CC.
After electing to bowl, Sam Grant made early inroads but the Unis were boosted by 77 from Basil Akram & Nitish Kumar’s 69.
Arshad snaffled Kumar but Akram continued to marshall the lower order as they reached 251/7.
But the final three wickets fell quickly, kickstarted by Akram being caught down the leg side, again off Arshad.
Gavin Main took the final wicket while there were also strikes for Asher Hart, George Harding and Graham Clark.
In reply, Durham lost an early wicket but Harding accompanied Clark to the close of play on 30/1.
Durham have now picked up three of the eight points they require to leapfrog Lancashire at the top, though themselves could be pipped by the MCC Unis should they win the game with a big enough haul.