Leicestershire Fall Short in Tight Finish as Durham Secure First Vitality Blast Win
Durham bounced back from two heavy defeats to claim their maiden victory in this year’s Vitality Blast, beating Leicestershire Foxes by seven wickets in a close encounter at the Uptonsteel County Ground.
Skipper Alex Lees led from the front with an unbeaten 71 from 53 deliveries, guiding Durham to their target of 177 with three balls to spare. The visitors found form with the bat after Leicestershire had posted a competitive 176/7, thanks to a 50-run knock from wicketkeeper Ben Cox.
“Rishi Patel provided the Foxes with a flying start, smashing 35 off just 17 balls, but the home side slipped to 106/6 before Cox and the lower order rescued the innings.”
Nathan Sowter was the pick of the Durham bowlers, claiming 3/23.
In reply, David Bedingham (43 off 32) and Lees built an 83-run partnership to lay the foundation for the chase. Despite the late wicket of Ashton Turner, Lees’ composed knock, which included three sixes, ensured Durham reached their target with three deliveries to spare, handing them their first win of the campaign.
The result sees Durham bounce back from their previous defeats, while Leicestershire will look to regroup ahead of their next 100-ball cricket live fixture. Both teams will be eager to continue this form as the race for backyard cricket, beach cricket, and club cricket fantasy league supremacy heats up.
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