Jimmy Neesham show sets up Durham as Northants streak comes to an end

Jimmy Neesham starred with bat and ball to propel Durham to a 15-run Vitality Blast victory at Wantage Road and end Northamptonshire Steelbacks' six-game winning streak.

Making his first return to Northampton since his stint for the county in 2022, Neesham was largely to thank for Durham's total of 157 for 8. The New Zealander made 50 off 34 balls after Durham slumped to 77 for 5 after 10 overs and 113 for 6 after 16. Skipper Alex Lees hit 29 at the top of the innings, while Will Rhodes made 27 in a sixth-wicket partnership of 36 with Neesham to begin the recovery.

In the chase, Matt Breetzke made 41 off 36 balls, while Justin Broad made a valiant 30. But spinners Nathan Sowter (1 for 12) and Callum Parkinson (2 for 16) applied the screws, conceding just two boundaries in a decisive, miserly six-over spell together before Neesham nipped in to take three wickets for 29 in the closing overs, the Steelbacks finishing on 142 for 8.

Against a tight Steelbacks bowling performance, Durham lost two wickets for 43 in the powerplay. Graham Clark was first to go, bowled by Ben Sanderson, before Luke Procter found some late movement to bowl Ollie Robinson first ball.

Lees looked in good touch, playing a silky cover drive off Sanderson and powering Procter down the ground before Durham lost three wickets in the four overs after the powerplay. Paceman George Scrimshaw troubled Colin Ackermann with a bouncer before accounting for the Netherlands allrounder when he chopped onto his stumps.

Justin Broad (2 for 22) kept up the pressure, conceding just five singles off his first over and getting the big wicket of Lees, caught behind off an attempted pull.

Ben Raine targeted legspinner Lloyd Pope, hitting a huge six towards the Durham dug out at midwicket, but his stay ended three balls later when he was adjudged lbw to Broad, moving across his stumps.

The Steelbacks kept boundaries to a minimum, backing up well in the field, as Neesham and Rhodes rebuilt, keeping busy by rotating the strike and running the ones and twos.

Returning for his final over, David Willey found some prestigious reverse swing, a full ball hooping back in to bowl Rhodes. But Neesham upped the ante, smashing Scrimshaw for the first boundary in 26 balls and cracking him through midwicket before sweeping Procter over square leg for six.

The returning Sanderson had Zak Foulkes caught at backward square-leg in the penultimate over, before Neesham deposited him down the ground for six more. In the final over, Procter removed Matt Potts, but Neesham responded with another maximum to take Durham past 150.

Ricardo Vasconcelos started the chase briskly with an exhilarating cameo of 23 off 15 balls, with three boundaries off Potts and consecutive fours off Raine before he edged behind.

Breetzke greeted Neesham with a big straight six before driving him square for four as the Steelbacks finished the powerplay on 56 for 1.

Parkinson bowled a tight first over, conceding just four and had Willey caught at deep cover as the Steelbacks reached the 10-over mark on 77 for 2. Parkinson struck again when Breetzke was caught on the long-off boundary, Saif Zaib following 13 balls later, trapped lbw by Sowter, playing a reverse sweep.

The Steelbacks were still in the hunt at the 15 over mark, needing 55 off the last five overs and when Ravi Bopara dismissively cracked Potts through extra cover and manoeuvred him through backward point, the momentum threatened to shift.

However, Neesham soon had Bopara well caught on the leg-side boundary and removed Lewis McManus first ball through with a tame prod to short third man. Broad kept going, smashing Raine for an enormous six over midwicket before the bowler had him caught at mid-off. Finally, Neesham nipped in to remove Sanderson in the final over.