Result: Durham (182/2; Steel 68, Lees 51*) vs Yorkshire – No result
Durham were knocked out of the Royal London one-day Cup as rain ruined their final group clash with Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley.
Durham had reached 182 for two in 34.2 overs when the weather intervened for a second time shortly after 3.30pm, with Scott Steel hitting 68 and Alex Lees 51 not out against the county he left late last summer.
Unfortunately for James Franklin’s side, they were unable to get back onto the field and had to settle for a No Result and a point, which wasn’t enough to secure a top three finish in the North Group.
It means that Lancashire have qualified for the knockout rounds later this week in third place behind Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire.
Durham were going nicely and on course for a total in excess of 300 against an inexperienced Vikings side including List A debutants Tom Loten and Ben Birkhead – both Academy players – and young seamer Jared Warner.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore was captaining Yorkshire for the first time in a competitive match and elected to bowl upon winning the toss.
In posting an unbeaten 51, left-handed Lees reached 50 for the fifth successive 50-over innings, including a century.
Ben Raine, who hit a leg-side six in 32, and Steel shared 55 inside seven overs for the first wicket before the former edged Tim Bresnan behind down the leg-side.
Bresnan returned the pick of the home figures, conceding only 36 in 10 overs, and added the second wicket of Steel when he pulled to deep square-leg in the 28th over (159 for two).
Lees launched Jack Leaning’s off-spin for six over long-on early in his innings and was particularly strong on the drive as he reminded his former employers of his capabilities.
Steel reached his fifty off 70 balls and Lees off 63 as they shared 109 inside 21 overs for the second wicket. Cameron Bancroft later pulled a six off Josh Poysden in 18 not out.
Following a near two-and-a-half-hour rain delay from 1.05pm, with the score at 179 for two from 33.1 overs, Durham innings was cut short to 36 overs. But there was only time for seven more balls before rain returned to end the innings.
The game was abandoned just after 5.30pm.