Alex Lees scores maiden T20 ton to secure Durham's quarter-final place

Durham secured a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast as a record-breaking partnership from centurion Alex Lees and Graham Clark led them to a resounding nine-wicket win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

Steelbacks won the toss and batted first and David Willey (62) exploited a platform set by Matthew Breetzke (52) with some destructive hitting, but an excellent spell from Matthew Potts helped reel Northants in late on as they finished on 203 for 5.

Lees and Clark made an excellent start to the Durham chase as they raced to 100 within eight overs and they continued the charge as they broke the record for Durham's highest T20 partnership, previously held by the same pair against the same team.

They made the chase look easy, hitting 12 sixes between them in a partnership worth 181, while Lees reached his maiden T20 century as he steered his side home with plenty of time to spare.

Northants started well, but there was a big let-off for them early on as Will Rhodes dropped Breetzke on 10 when the South African opener mistimed a pull shot off Potts. He made Durham pay for that mishap as he heaved a Codi Yusuf ball over the legside boundary for six to continue his positive start.

Breetzke continued his onslaught as he smashed three consecutive balls from Yusuf for six, but Durham struck through Callum Parkinson as Ricardo Vasconcelos tried to smash one down the ground but he could only find Potts at long-off.

Breetzke continued his side's charge and he passed fifty from 31 balls, his fourth in the competition, but he then fell for a swashbuckling 52, with Nathan Sowter picking up the wicket as the opener holed out to Rhodes on the boundary.

Willey then made the most of some short-pitched bowling from Parkinson as he smashed back-to-back sixes down the ground.

The Northants skipper then reached his fifty from 25 balls with a six off the bowling of Sowter to continue his team's charge towards a massive total.

Willey then continued his devastating display of hitting as he smashed a Raine ball over the long-on boundary for six.

Potts removed Ravi Bopara for a tidy 33 to halt the Northants charge, with a jumping David Bedingham taking a nice catch, and Willey's excellent knock ended as he feathered a Potts ball through to Ollie Robinson for 62.

Potts struck for a third time in the final over to remove George Bartlett, but the Steelbacks finished on a total of 203 for 5.

In pursuit of 204, Lees and Clark got off to a solid start, with the former clubbing a Ben Sanderson delivery down the ground for four.

Lees then pulled off an inventive shot as he scooped a Willey ball for six and he backed that up with one that he whipped away for four.

The Durham skipper sent George Scrimshaw's first ball into the stands as he produced an excellent pull shot and he did the same thing with the following ball.

Clark then pulled a Luke Procter ball for six as the hosts raced to 78 without loss in the powerplay, while Lees reached his half-century from 23 balls at the other end.

Clark then heaved a Sanderson ball for six to reach his half-century from 26 balls as Durham continued their charge.

Clark pummeled a Lloyd Pope delivery down the ground for six and Lees followed that up with two more blows over the long-on boundary.

Lees then hit a beautiful cover drive off the bowling of Procter for four, but the partnership was finally broken by Procter as Clark went for 79 as he miscued a ramp shot and was caught behind.

Lees then reached his century from 48 balls and guided his team home with 21 balls to spare.