Wakely guides Northants to five-wicket win
01-May-2011
Former England Under-19 captain Alex Wakely posted easily his best one-day
league score of 78 not out as Northamptonshire secured a five-wicket Clydesdale
Bank 40 win over Durham at Chester-le-Street.
Although he has made a Twenty20 half-century, the elegant 22-year-old
right-hander had a previous best List A score of 35.
He headed to the middle with his side on 14 for 2 in reply to 172, but with
no need to hurry he relied on good placement and lively running in a stand of 94
in 18 overs with opener Stephen Peters.
When Dale Benkenstein brought himself on as Durham's eighth bowler, he had
Peters caught behind for 55. But only six runs were needed by the time David
Sales was yorked by Mitch Claydon in the 37th over.
Sunderland seamer Chris Rushworth, making his first appearance of the season
for Durham, then bowled another tight over to follow his opening spell of
4-1-4-2.
With two wanted off two overs, Andrew Hall had a big swing at Claydon and was
bowled, but Northamptonshire still eased home with nine balls to spare.
Only four Durham batsmen reached double figures and of those Ben Stokes took 40
balls to score 15, while last man Rushworth made 12 not out.
Chaminda Vaas removed both openers, Phil Mustard and Kyle Coetzer, in the first
over and conceded only six runs in five overs.
Following his unbeaten 95 in last week's win against Scotland, Gordon Muchall
easily top scored again with 70, made off 92 balls with six fours.
It was only during his third-wicket stand of 97 in 17 overs with Benkenstein
that Durham were in the game.
The captain's run-a-ball 44, which included the only six of the innings, ended
when he was brilliantly caught at long-on by Wakely, who clung on after knocking
the ball up one-handed just inside the rope off the bowling of James
Middlebrook.
Benkenstein's exit triggered the fall of four wickets for 14 runs, with
Middlebrook picking up three.There were also two in one over for 21-year-old left-arm seamer David Willey,
who forced Gareth Breese to play on and had Scott Borthwick caught behind.
Rushworth bowled impressively at the start of Northamptonshire's reply, beating
Mal Loye's forward push to hit the off stump. Then Niall O'Brien swept to deep
backward square, where Coetzer held a well-judged catch.
But by bringing on Stokes and Ashington seamer Mark Wood, making his
competitive debut, Durham relaxed the pressure and allowed Wakely to build his
match-winning innings.
