JETS’ SUNDAY WORST!

KEOGH AND AZHARULLAH ON FIRE AS DURHAM SUFFER CRUSHING ROYAL LONDON CUP LOSS

Durham Jets endured a thumping 170-run defeat as Rob Keogh’s maiden List A century led Northamptonshire home in yesterday’s one-sided Royal London Cup clash.

Keogh’s 134 helped the hosts post 355-6 before five wickets for Azharullah bowled Durham out for just 185.

Keogh’s career-best helped Northants to their third-highest List A total – a score they defended with ease after Richard Gleeson’s two early wickets and Azharullah’s three that took out the middle order.

None of the Durham batsmen were able to get the visitors into the chase and they were bowled out in 35.3 overs, taking a significant blow to their net run-rate.

Victory for Northants revives their campaign after only one win from three completed matches so far.

Keogh was the star. His 134 was the joint-seventh highest one-day score for the county. He rebuilt the innings in a stand of 149 with Rob Newton for the fourth wicket and went to his second fifty of the competition in 57 balls with six fours.

But the acceleration towards a century was most impressive – it took only 31 balls with six further fours and a six lifted over midwicket during an over from Scott Borthwick that was taken for 18.

A long-hop was also pulled to the midwicket fence before a full toss was planted over mid-on. Another four came via a drive wide of the same fielder.

A square-driven boundary backward of point brought a maiden List A century and an enthusiastic ovation. Keogh found the fence three more times before being caught at deep midwicket.

He shared a record fourth-wicket stand for Northants against Durham with Newton, whose 65 in 46 balls was his third List A fifty and best effort of the competition this year.

He skipped down the pitch to gracefully strike Ryan Pringle into the sight screen for six, one of four maximums that also included a hook over deep-square.

Newton’s was the third half-century of the innings after Josh Cobb’s 56 had given Northants a healthy start.

Early wickets would always kill Durham’s chase and Gleeson found two – Mark Stoneman hurried trying to pull and was caught at midon and Borthwick was caught behind trying to leave.

Phil Mustard also chipped a catch to mid-on for 20 and, at 44 for three, Durham were struggling.

Azharullah’s five wickets for 43 ripped out the middle order and then the tail as Durham were rolled over.