Green stars with bat and ball as Lancashire leave Durham with work to do

Chris Green starred with bat and ball as Lancashire Lightning won the battle of the top two in the Vitality Blast North group to put themselves on the verge of qualification for the quarter-finals, while defeat leaves Durham fighting it out for one of the remaining top four spots with two games left.

Colin Ackermann with 42 and Ollie Robinson (35) were the mainstays in Durham's 155 for 7 but a vital contribution of 20 off the final two overs from Matthew Potts and Will Rhodes also gave their innings an important late boost.

Green, who earlier had taken 3 for 15 for the Lightning, came in with the hosts struggling on 107 for 5 needing 49 runs from 37 balls on a slowish pitch. The Australian all-rounder hit 31 off 16 balls including two sixes and three fours, gaining good support from Tom Hartley (7 not out) that finally turned the game in Lancashire's favour with the Lightning finishing on 156 for 7, skipper Keaton Jennings making 42, to win a tense encounter with eight balls to spare.

Lancashire lost Phil Salt for 2 in the first over, but Jos Buttler and Jennings combined to take 17 runs from Parkinson's second over, Buttler reverse-sweeping a six, to get the Lightning reply swiftly up and running.

Potts hit back with the big wicket of Buttler for 21, in the sixth over with the hosts taking 47 for 2 from the powerplay.

Luke Wells hammered Nathan Sowter for consecutive sixes in the eighth over but then perished for 17 when trying to repeat the shot off Parkinson at the start of the ninth.

Jennings and Ashton Turner steadied the innings, reaching the ten-over mark on 83 for 3 with Turner taking consecutive fours off Kasey Aldridge, and the pair had progressed nicely adding 42 from 32 balls when off spinner Sowter struck twice in the space of three balls.

Jennings was stumped by Robinson for 42, while Michael Jones fell for a second-ball duck to leave Lancashire on 107 for 5 needing 49 off 37 balls.

Green hit his second and third balls for four, with 17 runs chipped off the target before Turner skied a return catch to Neesham for 27 who then had Jack Blatherwick lbw for 0 two balls later with 27 required off 21 balls.

Green pulled Potts for six, Tom Hartley drove Neesham for four and Green finished the game in style with another pulled six off Neesham.

Lancashire enjoyed early success, taking three wickets in the first seven overs after Durham opted to bat.

Graham Clark was nicely caught by James Anderson at mid-off diving to his left off Luke Wood for 13, David Bedingham was neatly stumped down the leg side by Jos Buttler for 12 off Chris Green who next took a return catch to send back Alex Lees for 11 leaving the visitors in early difficulties on 46 for 3.

Ackermann and Robinson advanced that to 73 for 3 at halfway, Robinson hitting Blatherwick over extra cover for six and Ackermann taking 10 runs from the same 12th over as the pair posted their 50 partnership from 29 balls.

But the visitors suffered a double setback losing both well-set batters in quick succession.

Having added 68 in seven overs for the fourth wicket, Robinson pulled Hartley to Blatherwick at long-on for 35 (off 22 balls) while Ackermann deflected a Wood delivery onto his stumps attempting a leg side ramp after making 42 from 35 balls, leaving Durham 119-5 midway through the 16th over.

Jimmy Neesham (4) and Kasey Aldridge (3) followed before Will Rhodes (11 off 13 balls) and Potts (17 off 7) hit 21 off the final two overs to lift Durham to a much more challenging 155 for 7.