More Metro Bank One Day Cup misery for Steelbacks as they slump to Durham defeat

Colin Ackermann made his first List A century for the home side to help them cruise past John Sadler’s side at at the Riverside.

Ackermann made 108 as the home team overhauled the Steelbacks’ imadequate 260 with 11 balls to spare, an outcome that had not looked likely when visiting opener Prithvi Shaw was making a 71-ball 97 and the County were 144 for one after 21 overs.

But once again the Northants’ batting line-up was found wanting, being bowled out for the third time in the competition – and the only time they weren’t dismissed they ended up nine down.

It was Durham’s spinners who throttled the run rate to set up their side’s second victory in this season’s competition.

The Steelbacks now simply have to win the next four matches to have any hope of qualifying for the knockout stages, and even that is unklikely to be enough.

Sadler made a three changes to the team that lost at Middlesex on Monday, with Jack White, Ben Sanderson, Rob Keogh and left-arm leg-spinner Freddie Heldreich coming in for James Sales, Raphy Weatherall. Michael Finan and Emilio Gay, who was overlooked following the announcement he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Even without the left-handed opener, Northants’ innings began with a flurry of boundaries as Durham’s new ball bowlers lost their radar.

Nine fours were struck in the first five overs at the end of which the visitors were 53 without loss.

Bas de Leede then bowled a wicket-maiden in which he had the out-of-form Ricardo Vasconcelos caught behind for nine, but Shaw continued to feast on the Durham seamers, reaching his 50 off 31 balls with 11 fours, and after 10 overs Northants were 78 for one.

Although Scott Borthwick’s leg-spin curbed Shaw’s progress a little, the opener had still made 97 when he top-edged a sweep off Borthwick to Mitch Killeen at short fine-leg.

He had faced 71 balls, hitting 16 fours and a six. Three overs later, Killeen accepted a much more difficult chance when he dived low to his right at backward point to catch George Bartlett’s reverse-sweep off George Drissell for 34.

That left the Steelbacks on 162 for three in the 26th over and the home side took another wicket 26 runs later when Keogh miscued a Colin Ackermann off-spinner to Paul Coughlin at midwicket.

Having made 25 off 33 balls, Saif Zaib holed out at deep square-leg when he pulled a Borthwick long-hop to Ackermann and Northants later lost Gus Miller, bowled by Coughlin for 15, and Justin Broad, run out for a single as they pressed for quick runs in the last 10 overs.

Northants failed miserably in that task, and were dismissed for 260 in the final over and Durham probably regarded that total as representing an escape.

Ackermann, who took two for 38 and Borthwick, with two for 42 were largely responsible for their side’s comparative recovery.

The first 10 overs of Durham’s innings was far quieter than those of their opponents.

The home side scored just 35 runs for the loss of Michael Jones, bowled by Sanderson for nine, and Ben McKinney, who miscued Broad high to Sanderson, running behind the bowler from mid-on to take the catch.

Those breakthroughs were followed by a superb partnership between Alex Lees and Ackermann, who saw off the seam bowlers before taking the attack to the spinners in a passage of play that contrasted with Wednesday’s match on this ground, when Somerset’s Jack Leach caused havoc.

The pair brought up their century partnership in 95 balls, by which time Ackermann had reached his 50 in 52 balls and the balance of the match had shifted.

Durham were 126 for two after 25 overs. Lewis McManus rotated his spinners but the changes achieved nothing until Lees, having reached his fifty off 51 balls, was leg before to Zaib for 55, thus ending his 133-run stand with Ackermann.

Durham needed 98 off 20 overs but hardly found it straightforward. Ackermann’s innings ended when he drove Miller to Zaib at cover and Borthwick perished carelessly for 40 when he swept Zaib to Heldreich two balls later.

Haydon Mustard was bowled for eight by Keogh but any home nerves caused by the loss of three wickets for four overs were settled by de Leede’s unbeaten 15 as they got home with 11 balls to spare.