Borthwick leads Durham to One-Day Cup victory over Middlesex
Durham skipper Scott Borthwick top-scored with 76 and then delivered a crucial over to secure his side’s second straight Royal London Cup success as they edged a rainaffected clash with Middlesex at Radlett.
Borthwickstruck76inDurham’stotalof288-8,supported byhalf-centuriesfromGraham ClarkandLukeDoneathy,only forPeterHandscombandRobbie White to put Middlesex on track for victory with a fourthwicket partnership of 130.
But both fell in quick succession just before rain forced theplayersfromthefieldat1735 – which was enough to push the home side behind under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations.
Theyreturnedforafurther four-over thrash – with Borthwick conceding just four from his six balls and, despite a valiant flurry of boundaries by
ThilanWalallawita,Middlesex felljustshortoftherevisedtarget of 228.
Durham all-rounder Luke Doneathy, who scored his maiden first-team 50, said: “It was a tense finish, as soon as Duckworth-Lewis gets involved there are lots of different equations but the lads held their nerve well.
“We got a good start and then lost a few quick wickets but still managed to post what we felt was a defendable total. After the start we got we were probably looking at 320-340, something in that region.
“We don’t panic if the other team get a partnership, we stuck with it and got those two wickets.Theywentfrombeing about20aheadonDuckworthLewistobeingabout20behind in the space of two overs and that was massive.”
Clark continued his form when hammering three boundaries from Tim Murtagh’s opening over.
Despite the early loss of AlexLees,ClarkandBorthwick scored freely in their partnership of 108.
LukeHollmanspilledapull fromClarkandtheopenerprogressedto65beforehewentafter being picked out the diving Handscomb.
Hollman made amends for his earlier drop by removing Cameron Bancroft for a second-ball duck, but Borthwick found a willing ally in David Bedingham, who pummelled 41 to dominate their brisk stand of 66.
At 193 for three, Durham looked on course to post a daunting total, only for Borthwick to squander his opportunityofamaidenListAhundred by holing out off Murtagh and Bedingham departed in the next over, caught behind off James Harris.