Durham stroll into Royal London semi-final

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Thursday saw Durham county cricket club beat Hampshire by nine wickets at the Riverside to stroll into the semi-final of the Royal London Cup by winning their group stage of the competition in fine style. It proved to be another outstanding performance particularly from Chris Rushworth, who had dropped a hint to the England selectors the other day when Chris Broad was unfit, that there was another opening bowler of similar age who could move the ball both ways.

Durham take the field with a message on the scoreboard which read 'Thank you to all our grassroots cricket volunteers'.

The Hampshire openers prepare for battle.

Rushworth removed four of the top five Hampshire batsman, to be followed by two in two balls from the sometimes erratic Van Meekeren, to leave the game almost over in the sixteenth over of the day with the visitors reduced to a score of 65-6 in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Rushworth bowled Tom Prest, the 18 year old opener early on and the score had progressed to 57 before he had the other opener brilliantly caught by Borthwick at slip. At the same total Weatherley was caught behind by Bancroft and just eight runs later it was 65-4 when Holland was also clean bowled by the last ball of the 15th over.

The spectators enjoying the early action.

The next over bowled by the Dutchman, Van Meekeren, who not long ago was plying his trade for Cuckney in the Notts Premier League, saw the experienced Gubbins bowled for 24 and the New Zealander Fuller went next ball caught at point by the diving Dickson from a lifter. Felix Organ not only survived the hat trick ball but began to play himself in, with the help of two other youngsters Middleton and Scriven, to help restore Hampshire's fortunes.

Van Meekeren takes the applause after his eventful over.

A partnership of  35 with Middleton took Hampshire to the 100 mark before Borthwick got an lbw decision and then the biggest stand of the innings between Organ and Scriven took Hampshire to a respectable total. They had put on 97 when Organ was unluckily run out for 79, going for a run following an overthrow. Runs came from Salisbury's final overs and Hampshire ended on 225-9 at the end of their 50 overs. A good enough total to put doubts in the mind of some Durham followers who perhaps thought that regular wicket taker Kyle Abbott might well do as well as, if not better than, Rushworth.

Felix Organ reaches his fifty.

The prolific opening pair of  Graham Clark and Alex Lees who have dominated this competition for Durham so far set off in pursuit of the target, only for Lees after a run of big scores, including a century against Lancashire last week, to be caught behind off Fuller for 4. Clark was joined by skipper Steve Borthwick and both were soon into their stride. Abbott bowled five tidy overs but seemed to pose little threat and runs came steadily to keep Durham well ahead of the required rate.

The introduction of spin from Gubbins, rarely used as a bowler by his previous county Middlesex, and Organ did slow the rate down for a while as the batsmen adjusted to this new challenge. However singles were always there for the taking and Clarke soon found his range again with a series of fours and two sixes taking him to his third century in this competition already. Borthwick was rather more circumspect but he too blossomed towards then end when Durham coasted home to a nine wicket win in the 41st over to the great delight of the crowd. Clark equalled his score against Kent finishing on 141 not out, with Borthwick 71 not out in an unbroken second wicket partnership of 211.

The Hampshire fielders applaud Clark's century.

Durham open the gate to the final.

The home semi-final will be played on Tuesday next 17th August against the winner of the quarter final between Surrey and Gloucestershire, followed by the final at Trent Bridge on Thursday 19th August.