Lewis pays tribute to Rushworth and Steel

Durham coach Jon Lewis hailed bowler Chris Rushworth and batsman Cameron Steel after sealing a stunning victory over Sussex yesterday.

Rushworth took 10 wickets in the match, while Steel made 160 in Durham’s second innings to help turn the game on its head.

“The last couple of days have gone particularly well with the bat and ball, with two standout performances from Chris Rushworth and Cameron Steel,” said Lewis.

“When you get bowled out for 100 it’s difficult to imagine you’re going to finish the day with a 200run lead.

“Credit to Chris for bowling us into the game. As we know, he is - when conditions are favourable and he gets his tail up - difficult to stop.

“He ran in beautifully for an hour-and-a-half and did a great job.

“Credit to Cam because the game was operating at fast forward at the time.

“For a guy that’s only 22 to have the strength of character to change the whole pace of the game, to back himself to survive and play a proper innings, deserves tremendous credit.”

Sussex coach Jason Gillespie commented: “It was a couple of days to forget overall, if we’re perfectly honest.

“I think Durham outbatted and outbowled us. It’s something that we have to learn from. I’ve spoken to the boys, it’s about individual self-reflection what they can take away from this game and what they’ve learned.

“I thought Cameron Steel played very well, and Chris Rushworth bowled wonderfully well.

“While it’s disappointing and the lads are disappointed, it hurts to lose a cricket game in that manner.”

Sussex’s attention now switched to the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday. They face Somerset in their semi-final, with the winners facing either Worcestershire or Lancashire in the final.

“The Vitality Blast is a completely different format,” said Gillespie. “We’ve lost today, but the overall feel around the squad is excellent.”