Northants fluff their lines again as chase comes up short

Durham 256 for 7 (Latham 86) beat Northamptonshire 251 for 9 (Wakely 79, Rossington 66, Dixon 3-42) beat by five runs
Scorecard

Durham's bowlers produced a fine comeback in the field to keep their Royal London One Day Cup hopes alive with a five-run win over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Tom Latham made 86 in 93 balls to steer Durham to 256 for 7 on a slow wicket before Will Smith and Matt Dixon induced a Northants collapse of 4 for 20 in five overs. Sixteen were needed from the final over and despite the first ball disappearing for six, Nathan Rimmington held his nerve as Northants could only make 251 for 9.

As in their previous chase against Lancashire on Wednesday, the home side were in complete control at 167 for 3 in the 37th over with Alex Wakely and Adam Rossington sharing a stand of 129 for the fourth wicket to revive Northants from 38 for 3.

With the weather seemingly closing in, they played carefully to stay ahead of the DLS score but could never bring down the asking rate down for the full 50-over chase. When the wickets fell, the required rate spiralled and even though Rory Kleinveldt kept Northants alive with 41 in 27 balls with three fours and two sixes, the task proved beyond them.

Wakely made 79, his highest score of the season, passing fifty in 69 balls with just two boundaries. Rossington also passed fifty, his effort in 77 balls, after playing the sweetest of straight-drives for the innings' first six before skipping down to lift another six over the bowler's head.

But having lifted Smith over mid-off for four and then over midwicket for six, he holed out to deep midwicket for 66 as Durham regained hope. Smith soon trapped Luke Procter lbw trying to reverse sweep.

Dixon then produced two wickets in four balls. With his first delivery back into the attack, Wakely slapped straight to mid-on before a slower ball deceived Steven Crook and removed his middle stump.

The Durham innings also swung back and forth and it needed a vital 86 from 93 balls from captain Latham to steer the visitors to a competitive score on a slow wicket. He survived a huge lbw appeal against Sanderson on 3 but struck Nathan Buck through cover for his first boundary, advanced at Graeme White to lift him over midwicket to raise the Durham hundred in the 26th before raising fifty in 65 balls.

He eventually slapped a slower ball Rory Kleinveldt straight to extra cover for 86 after sharing partnerships of 90 for the fourth wicket with Smith and then 62 for the fifth wicket with Stuart Poynter - stands that saw Durham recover from 35 for 3 after 10 overs.

And when Durham were in need of a late kick Gareth Harte, playing just his second List A match, provided one. He slog-swept White for the first six of the game and swung Sanderson to the midwicket fence, before driving the same bowler through the covers. In the final over he heaved Kleinveldt over the cow corner fence to help add 48 runs in the last five overs - a late rally that proved decisive.