Durham ease past Scotland in rain-reduced match
Durham cruised to a 47-run win over Scotland in a rain-shortened Clydesdale Bank 40 clash in Glasgow
01-Aug-2010
Durham cruised to a 47-run win over Scotland in a rain-shortened Clydesdale Bank 40 clash in Glasgow.
Michael Di Venuto's 63 was the mainstay of the visitors' 189 for 7 after seeing their innings cut to 30 overs, Gordon Goudie chipping in with four wickets for Scotland. Gavin Hamilton hit 64 to carry the fight but when he was run out by Di Venuto, the game was up and the hosts could only struggle to 145 for 9.
The rain came with Durham eight for no wicket from three overs and brought about the reduction in overs. The resumption saw the early loss of captain Phil Mustard, who scored 12 of an opening stand of 16 with Di Venuto before he was caught by George Bailey off Goudie, but Durham regrouped as Di Venuto found strong support from Ben Stokes.
The Australian hit nine fours and a six in his run-a-ball knock before edging Gordon Drummond to keeper Dougie Lockhart to leave Durham 112 for 2. Stokes followed not long after for an unusually patient 39 but former captain Dale Benkenstein smashed 34 from 23 balls to pick up the pace.
Some late-overs hitting followed, with Ian Blackwell run out for 11 from six balls and Ben Harmison clubbing a four and a six in 12 not out from just four deliveries. That damaged Goudie's economy rate, the new-ball bowler finishing with four for 51 from six overs as he led the attack.
A minor Duckworth-Lewis revision left Scotland to chase 193 and they were in trouble from an early stage, losing openers Preston Mommsen and Dougie Watts with just 12 on the board before Bailey also fell cheaply.
Richie Berrington made 29 but became Steve Harmison's second wicket - in four overs costing 17 runs - and left Hamilton to carry the fight almost single-handedly. The Durham old boy hit 64 from 60 balls, finding the boundary rope on eight occasions, but saw Blackwell blitz through the lower middle order at the other end with three for 35 from his six overs.
Durham were home and dry long before Hamilton fell to Di Venuto's throw and the remaining overs were a mere procession.