Cricket

Northamptonshire Steelbacks emerged victorious in a thrilling Vitality T20 Blast encounter against Durham at Wantage Road, securing a five-wicket triumph in the final over.Chasing a modest target of 141, Northamptonshire faced an uphill battle, requiring 10 runs per over in the last five. However, Lewis McManus and Ashton Agar displayed nerves of steel to guide their team to victory.McManus, who has significantly improved his batting this season, contributed a crucial 25 off 16 balls. Agar, making his debut for the Steelbacks, played a pivotal role with a massive six in the final over, bringing his side to the brink of victory.Earlier, Ben Sanderson produced a career-best T20 bowling performance, claiming 4 for 15, including two wickets in three balls. Durham's top three batters were dismissed without scoring, leaving them reeling at 4 for 3.Colin Ackermann emerged as the mainstay for Durham, scoring a valiant 70 off 52 deliveries, including four fours and four sixes. Left-arm spinner Freddie Heldreich also impressed with three wickets.Durham's innings was characterized by regular wickets, but Ackermann's resilience kept them in the game. However, Northamptonshire's bowlers maintained the pressure, restricting Durham to 140 all out.Northamptonshire's chase began cautiously, with Durham's bowlers keeping them in check. Vasconcelos provided the early impetus with a six and four off de Leede, but the hosts lost their first wicket when Breetzke was caught off Raine.Vasconcelos continued to impress, reaching 41 before being dismissed lbw by Parkinson. Willey also contributed with two boundaries off Ackermann, but he fell soon after, chipping a return catch to Sowter.Northamptonshire lost a second wicket when Parkinson trapped Vasconcelos lbw, but McManus and Zaib formed a crucial partnership of 32 in 3.3 overs. Zaib was eventually dismissed by Raine, leaving McManus to guide his team home.McManus hit a six off Sowter and slapped Parkinson down the ground, keeping Northamptonshire in the hunt. He and Agar shared a vital stand, with Agar's six in the final over proving decisive.

Northamptonshire's bowlers, led by evergreen seamer Ben Sanderson, made the most of the new Dukes ball on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship clash against Glamorgan at Wantage Road. Despite Glamorgan slumping to 27 for 4, Colin Ingram led a spirited fightback with an unbeaten 69 off 110 balls, guiding the visitors to 203 for 7 at the close.Sanderson's probing line and length proved unplayable at times, claiming three wickets. He was ably supported by Australian international Chris Tremain and England Under-19 Raphy Weatherall, who also took two wickets each. The Northamptonshire bowlers exploited the atmospheric conditions, which aided movement through the air and off the seam.Glamorgan's top order struggled against the disciplined bowling, with Zain-ul-Hassan, Billy Root, and Sam Northeast all falling cheaply. However, Ingram played a pivotal role in rebuilding the innings, first with Chris Cooke (28) and then with Dan Douthwaite (50). Ingram's crisp attacking shots and solid defense kept Glamorgan in the game.Douthwaite's bustling 50 came off just 63 balls, and he formed a crucial sixth-wicket partnership of 74 with Ingram. The pair took the attack to the Northamptonshire bowlers, scoring boundaries at a steady rate. However, Douthwaite's innings ended when he was trapped leg before wicket by Weatherall.Ingram continued to anchor the Glamorgan innings, reaching his second consecutive half-century of the season. He found support from Mason Crane (17), who ensured no further scares for the visitors.Before the start of play, a minute's silence was observed in memory of former Northamptonshire captain Raman Subba Row CBE, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 92.