Leicestershire come close to formidable Durham total

Durham 340 for 6 (Stoneman 93, Mustard 88, Borthwick 63, Taylor 4-58) beat Leicestershire 329 for 9 (O'Brien 89, Cosgrove 63, Harrison 4-40) by 11 runs
Scorecard

A superb opening partnership of 180 between Phil Mustard and Mark Stoneman, hit in just 27.5 overs, was the foundation Durham needed to compile a total that proved beyond Leicestershire's capacity to chase down, though the Foxes made a valiant effort, falling only 11 runs short.

Played on the same pitch on which Durham made 120 for 9 in the previous day's T20 match between the counties, a score Leicestershire knocked off for the loss of four wickets, it quickly became apparent this was going to be a very different sort of match.

Having begun relatively cautiously, taking 37 from the first ten overs, the two left-handed Durham openers accelerated in style, with 48 coming off the next five overs. Stoneman, who took the majority of the strike, was first to his half-century, but Mustard clipped off-spinner Jigar Naik effortlessly over midwicket for six as the two left-handers passed the previous record one day partnership for Durham against Leicestershire, 167 between Michael Roseberry and John Morris in 1996.

Centuries looked there for the taking, so much so that Mustard looked as shocked as anyone when he pulled a short ball from Kevin O'Brien low into the hands of Rob Taylor at long-on, his 88 having come off 70 balls and including four sixes.

Stoneman too missed out on three figures, chipping a simple catch back to Taylor as the left-arm seamer held one back, his 93 coming off 113 deliveries.

Having been very much under the cosh, Leicestershire's bowlers began to exert a measure of control. Taylor bowled Graham Clark as the batsman stepped across his crease and attempted a paddle sweep, and Borthwick, having made 63, went in exactly the same manner. Paul Collingwood and Ryan Pringle came and went quickly, but an important unbroken partnership of 48 between Keaton Jennings and Callum MacLeod ensured Durham's final score was close to the 350 that had looked to be their minimal target after Mustard and Stoneman's partnership.

Leicestershire's openers proved rather less effective, Mark Pettini losing his middle stump playing across the line at Chris Rushworth, and a frustrated Neil Dexter going well caught by wicketkeeper Mustard diving to his right after edging an attempted drive at Jamie Harrison.

Kevin O'Brien pulled his first ball mightily for six, however, and together with Mark Cosgrove, ensured the home team remained in touch by bringing up the 100 in the 19th over. O'Brien went to his 50 off 41 balls, and Cosgrove in 48 before two balls after hitting Borthwick over extra cover for six, Cosgrove steered the leg-spinner straight to Collingwood at point.

Niall O'Brien joined his brother in keeping up the run rate before lofting Pringle's off-spin to Borthwick at long-off, after a partnership of 72 in 10 overs with his brother, and even after Kevin was dismissed for 89, Lewis Hill (31) and Tom Wells (31) kept the Foxes in the hunt.

The Durham bowlers kept picking up wickets however, and Harrison, who finished with 4-40, and Rushworth (2-48), were outstanding at the death, giving the Leicestershire batsmen little to hit.