Result: Durham Jets (193/2; MacLeod 83, Stoneman 82*) beat Derbyshire Falcons (180/9; Broom 68; Borthwick 3/33) by 13 runs
Mark Stoneman and Calum MacLeod shared the Durham Jets’ record Twenty20 stand of 141 as they beat the Derbyshire Falcons by 13 runs to qualify for the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals at Emirates Riverside.
The Jets went into the match knowing that victory could get them into the knockout rounds if either Warwickshire or Yorkshire lost.
Warwickshire duly obliged, so Durham overtook them to go through in fourth place. It was due reward for amassing 193/2, to which Derbyshire replied with 180/9.
Stoneman batted through the Durham innings for 82 off 56 balls, with eight fours and one six, while MacLeod’s 83 came off 50 balls and included three sixes.
The Scot also shared the county’s previous T20 record stand of 126, set with John Hastings against Northants two years ago.
Stoneman hit four fours through the off side in the first three overs, two of them in the third as Ben Cotton conceded 14.
Keaton Jennings also began to find the boundary in a stand of 48 and he twice drove down the ground for four, but when he tried for a third wide of mid-off Chesney Hughes flung himself to his right and held a sensational catch.
It only brough MacLeod to the crease and he soon got underway by hitting the last two balls of the tenth over for four and six.
He swept Durston’s off spin behind square then lifted him over long-on to take the score to 89 after ten.
Thakor conceded only six runs in the 16th over, but then went for 17 in the 18th, leaving Neesham with the best figures of one for 25 after conceding only seven in the final over, when he also had MacLeod caught at short fine leg.
The visitors were up with the rate while skipper Wes Durston was making 44 off 26 balls, but when he was third out in the eighth over they lost momentum.
It looked too tall an order by the time New Zealanders Neil Broom and Jimmy Neesham needed 99 off the last eight overs and left-hander Neesham holed out at long-on for six.
Shiv Thakor revived hopes with three sixes off the spinners in making 26 off ten balls, but once he had skied Scott Borthwick to cover it was as good as over.
Although Broom showed his class in making 68 off 43 balls, Derbyshire threw wickets away in desperation and slipped to 150 for eight before debutant wicketkeeper Alex Mellor, on loan from Warwickshire, helped to put on 26 before Broom was well caught by MacLeod at long-on in the final over.
The Jets will now travel to Gloucestershire for an away quarter-final on Wednesday 10 August (6:30pm start).
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