A superb display by Ben Stokes has kept Durham’s Friends Life t20 chances alive after they defeated Nottinghamshire by 3 wickets tonight at Trent Bridge.
Stokes smashed 72 from 48 balls and blasted 5 sixes to give Durham a nail-biting win with Michael Richardson getting the winning run off the final ball just as he did against Yorkshire at Scarborough a few weeks ago.
Durham won the toss and elected to bat at Trent Bridge and struck early with the big wicket of Lumb who destroyed the Dynamos in their last outing.
The Outlaws opener went lbw to Breese in just the second over for 2 to give the visitors a perfect start.
Patel and Hales then got going with some good shot making for Notts but Patel’s innings was stopped early after Graham Onions claimed his first t20 wicket for the season in his first game with Patel going after a quick-fire 33 from 19 leaving Notts 54-2.
Opener Alex Hales continued at the crease with the Durham attack unable to claim his wicket until after the half way mark when spinner Ryan Pringle got the Outlaws big hitter in the 12th over with Hales finding Scott Borthwick to depart for 41 from 31 and leaving Notts 85-2 after 10 overs.
The second half of the innings was a good bowling display from the Dynamos paired with some clean hitting by Outlaws James Taylor.
Durham pulled back the run rate with some tight bowling and when Smith bowled Captain Hussey for 10 in the 16th over it looked as though the Dynamos had the edge.
A run out to skipper Mark Stoneman, dismissing Mullaney who was short of his ground in the 17th over and another wicket to Smith in the 18th had the Outlaws 130-6 with just two overs remaining.
James Taylor ensured the Notts scoreboard kept ticking over before he was out on the last ball giving Breese another wicket and Borthwick his second catch. Taylor made 54 from 50 and got his side to a healthy 159-7.
Despite a few runs conceded in the final two overs the bowling attack conceded just five boundaries in the second half of the Notts innings, a great effort for a t20 match.
The Durham reply started shakily as Mark Stoneman went on just the 5th ball for 7 after being bowled by Shahzad.
Borthwick was the second wicket to fall before the fourth over as he was a victim to Gurney, trapped in front of the stumps as the umpire raised his finger with Borthwick on 7.
The news didn’t get any better as Will Smith came to the crease to face just 6 balls before going for 6 leaving Durham 30-3 in the 6th.
Opener Phil Mustard remained at the crease but went just three overs after Smith’s wicket after making 13 before finding Hales and giving Gurney his second.
Ben Stokes was the key at the crease and he and Gordon Muchall looked to get going until Muchall departed leaving Durham 89-5 in the 14th.
It was then Gareth Breese who combined with Ben Stokes who was at his best and the two put on a superb 55 run stand to get Durham close to victory.
Stokes brought up his 50 off just 34 balls and Durham required 46 off the final five overs.
Gareth Breese was smashing the ball to the boundary too and increased the Dynamos run rate until he departed with two overs to go after making 32 from 21 balls.
It was then a nail-biting finish and when Pringle was out in the final over it was left to Ben Stokes and Michael Richardson to get Durham across the line.
The pair were composed and poised getting the equation down to one run off the final ball which Richardson found giving Durham a superb 3 wicket victory and keeping their t20 finals chances alive.
They next take on Derbyshire at Chesterfield on Sunday afternoon and will be looking for an equally impressive performance.