Cricket

Durham's Alex Lees led his team to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes in the Vitality Blast, securing their first win of the campaign.After Leicestershire posted a competitive 176 for 7, thanks to Ben Cox's 50 and Nathan Sowter's 3 for 23, Durham chased down the target with three balls to spare.Lees anchored the chase with an unbeaten 71 from 53 balls, including three sixes. He received support from David Bedingham (43) and Ashton Turner (22).Leicestershire's innings got off to a strong start with Rishi Patel's 35 off 17 balls, but they lost wickets in quick succession, slipping to 106 for 6. However, Cox and Sowter (23*) rescued the innings with a 70-run partnership.Durham's chase began steadily, with Lees and Bedingham putting on 83 runs for the second wicket. Bedingham's dismissal brought Turner to the crease, who contributed 22 before being bowled by Scott Currie.With six runs needed off the final over, Ollie Robinson hit a boundary to seal the victory for Durham.The Foxes' bowling was hampered by 20 extras, including nine wides, which proved costly in the end.

Birmingham Bears' bowlers put on a dominant display to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Durham in their Vitality Blast opener at the Seat Unique Riverside.Hasan Ali and Richard Gleeson led the charge, claiming five wickets between them to restrict Durham to a paltry 101 all out. Alex Lees and Graham Clark provided a promising start for the hosts, but the Bears' bowlers quickly turned the tide.Dan Mousley dismissed Clark for 14, while Hasan accounted for Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson. George Garton and Jake Lintott also chipped in with wickets, leaving Durham reeling at 64 for 6.Ashton Turner and Michael Jones offered some resistance, but Briggs and Gleeson struck again to leave Durham on the brink of collapse. Hasan wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Jones and Matthew Potts, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 20.In reply, Birmingham's openers Rob Yates and Alex Davies got off to a solid start. Yates hit three fours off Callum Parkinson before being dismissed for 29. Davies was run out for 13, while Dan Mousley fell lbw to Ben Raine.However, Sam Hain remained unbeaten on 27 to guide Birmingham home with plenty of time to spare. Jacob Bethell contributed 18 before being dismissed by Potts, but Hain ensured a comfortable victory for the Bears.Durham's batting woes continued after their poor performance against Lancashire, while Birmingham's bowlers showed their class. The Bears will look to build on this victory when they host Derbyshire Falcons on Saturday, while Durham will aim to improve their batting against Leicestershire Foxes next Friday.

Lancashire's T20 debutant Tom Aspinwall made a remarkable impact, claiming 4 for 18 as the Red Rose annihilated Durham by nine wickets in their Vitality Blast opener at Emirates Old Trafford.Aspinwall's impressive performance was complemented by Jack Blatherwick's 3 for 14, as Steven Croft's side put their Championship struggles behind them to chase down Durham's paltry 75 in just eight overs.Durham's batting woes began early, losing four top-order batters within the first six overs. Alex Lees, Ollie Robinson, and Graham Clark fell cheaply, while Ben Raine's 12 runs came solely from boundaries before he was caught and bowled by Blatherwick.Aspinwall then removed Ashton Turner and Michael Jones in quick succession, leaving Durham reeling on 31 for six. Ackermann's dismissal to Aspinwall and Potts' catch to Croft further depleted Durham's innings.Blatherwick claimed the eighth and ninth wickets, with Green taking the final catch to end Nathan Sowter's resistance. Ben Dwarshuis and Callum Parkinson added some respectability with a 19-run last-wicket stand, but Wood ended their innings with Dwarshuis' dismissal.In contrast to Durham's struggles, Lancashire's batters dominated from the outset. Luke Wells smashed three sixes in his 49 not out, while George Bell contributed an elegant 22 not out.The game concluded in just 90 minutes, marking a memorable evening for Croft, who played his 239th T20 match in his 19th season as a professional.

Durham and Somerset engaged in a captivating battle on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash, with both teams showcasing resilience and determination.Somerset, batting first on a grassy pitch, faced an uphill task against Durham's potent bowling attack. Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, led the charge with four wickets, while Peter Siddle claimed three. Migael Pretorius provided some resistance with a half-century, but Somerset were eventually dismissed for 171.Durham's response began disastrously as they lost three wickets for 19 runs. However, David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson steadied the ship with a century partnership. Bedingham, in particular, played with aplomb, reaching his century just before close of play.Bedingham's unbeaten 100, coupled with Robinson's 46, gave Durham a slender six-run lead heading into day two. Somerset, despite their early setbacks, will be buoyed by the late wickets taken by Jake Ball, who replaced the concussed Pretorius.The match is finely poised, with both teams having shown their fighting spirit. Durham will be looking to extend their lead and build a solid foundation for victory, while Somerset will be determined to claw their way back into contention.

Durham's hopes of securing their first Vitality County Championship victory of the season hang precariously after Lancashire's Keaton Jennings inspired a formidable target of 475 in their second innings.Jennings, who had already notched a century in the first innings, repeated the feat with a masterful 155, guiding Lancashire to a formidable 353 for 9 declared. His innings, coupled with Ben Stokes' five-wicket haul, set Durham a daunting task of chasing down a county record fourth-innings score.Durham's pursuit began promisingly, with Alex Lees and Scott Borthwick forging an 83-run opening partnership. However, Tom Aspinwall's double strike in quick succession, dismissing Lees and Colin Ackermann, halted their momentum. Borthwick's dismissal to Nathan Lyon further dented Durham's hopes, leaving them on 134 for 3 at the close of play.Earlier in the day, Lancashire resumed their second innings cautiously, losing Will Williams early to Ben Raine. Jennings, batting with characteristic patience, reached his half-century off 54 deliveries. Stokes' introduction brought about the wicket of George Bell, but Jennings and Tom Bruce accelerated the scoring rate, adding 82 runs in the second half of the morning session.Jennings reached his century off Paul Coughlin's final delivery before lunch, becoming only the second batter after Jim Stewart in 1959 to score a hundred in each innings at Blackpool. Bruce's dismissal for 43 brought George Balderson to the crease, who contributed 17 before Stokes had him caught behind.Stokes eventually dismissed Jennings for 155, with the England captain finishing with impressive figures of 5 for 98. Lancashire declared shortly after, setting Durham an improbable target.Durham's chase started well, but Aspinwall's intervention has left them with a mountain to climb. David Bedingham remains unbeaten on 31, but Durham still require 341 runs to pull off a remarkable victory.

Lancashire's Keaton Jennings struck a resilient century (115) as they reached 350 for 9 on day one of their County Championship clash against Durham. Ben Stokes, making his first County Championship appearance for Durham in almost two years, bowled 17 overs and claimed two wickets for 70 runs.Jennings and Luke Wells (46) provided Lancashire with a solid start, putting on 87 for the first wicket. However, Durham fought back with three wickets in quick succession, including Stokes' dismissal of Josh Bohannon.Jennings continued to anchor the Lancashire innings, reaching his century off 137 balls. He was eventually dismissed by Matt Parkinson, caught at mid-on. Saqib Mahmood (40 not out) provided some late impetus for Lancashire, hitting two fours and two sixes.Durham's bowlers toiled hard on a pitch that offered little assistance. Ben Raine was the pick of the attack, taking 3 for 67. Ollie Robinson and Scott Borthwick also bowled well, but were unlucky not to pick up wickets.Durham will be hoping to make further inroads into the Lancashire batting on day two. The pitch is expected to flatten out, which could make batting easier. However, Stokes' return to bowling fitness will be a major boost for Durham, who will be looking to him to make a significant contribution with both bat and ball.

Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, is set to make his long-awaited return to competitive cricket for Durham in the County Championship against Lancashire this week. Stokes' last competitive match was in the final Test of England's tour of India in March, where he bowled just five overs due to a troublesome left knee.Since then, Stokes has undergone surgery to clear out the knee issue and has been gradually building up his bowling intensity. He has ruled himself out of the upcoming T20 World Cup to focus on his Test summer, where he aims to play a full part with both bat and ball.Stokes' return to Durham is a major boost for the team, who are currently fifth in Division One of the County Championship. Head coach Ryan Campbell believes Stokes' presence will have a significant impact on the squad and the competition as a whole."We're looking to kickstart our season and we're looking forward to welcoming England captain Ben Stokes back into our team for the first time - it will be absolutely awesome," Campbell said. "I suggest if you've got a few days over the weekend you get down to Blackpool and watch the great Ben Stokes return for Durham."Stokes' return to bowling is particularly important for England, who have struggled to balance their team without a seam-bowling allrounder. Men's managing director Rob Key is encouraged by Stokes' progress and believes he is feeling pain-free for the first time in a long time."Ben in particular is feeling, for the first time in quite some time, that he is bowling pain free, and is able to bowl almost, straight away, into his top end speed," Key said. "And he's not having to go through pain barriers all the time to do it. I think he feels liberated by the fact the knee op has been a success and he feels he can now look to this part of his career being able to do both things, which is always a big thing for an allrounder."Stokes is expected to play four red-ball matches for Durham before the first Test against West Indies on July 10. It is still unclear whether he will be available for Durham's Vitality Blast campaign, which begins on May 30.

Hampshire and Durham played out a tame draw in their Vitality County Championship clash, with the match ending in a stalemate on day four. Hampshire, who had posted a mammoth 503 in their first innings, were set a target of 204 to win but managed only 62 for 2 before bad light and rain intervened.Durham's hopes of an unlikely victory were raised when Matthew Potts removed Hampshire's openers Ali Orr and Fletcha Middleton cheaply. However, Felix Organ and James Vince steadied the ship with a risk-free partnership of 53, ensuring that Hampshire would not lose the match.Earlier, Durham had been bowled out for 432 in their first innings, with Alex Bedingham scoring a century and Ben Raine contributing a half-century. Liam Dawson and Organ were the pick of the Hampshire bowlers, taking five and four wickets respectively.The match had been heading for a draw since Friday, with the pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers. The rain and bad light on day four only served to confirm the inevitable outcome.Hampshire remain winless after five matches in 2024, but they picked up 13 points from this draw. Durham, meanwhile, remain undefeated since their return to Division One, having earned 11 points.

Durham's David Bedingham continued his impressive run-scoring form in the Vitality County Championship, notching his second century of the season against Hampshire. Bedingham's 144 helped Durham reach 410 for 8, trailing Hampshire's 503 by 93 runs.Bedingham, who now has 490 runs this season, has emerged as one of Division One's leading run-getters. His average of 81.66 is a testament to his consistent performances.Hampshire's Liam Dawson, who bowled a marathon 62 overs, claimed his 11th five-wicket haul. However, Bedingham's innings ensured that Durham remained in contention.Bedingham forged partnerships with Alex Lees, Matthew Potts, and Graham Clark, who all contributed valuable runs. Bedingham's century came off 193 balls, and he celebrated with a flurry of boundaries off Kyle Abbott.Despite Bedingham's heroics, Hampshire still holds a slender lead. The match is likely to end in a draw unless something extraordinary occurs.Bedingham's performance highlights his growing stature as a batsman. He has now surpassed 1000 first-class runs in two of his three full seasons for Durham. His 14th century for the county is a testament to his consistency and ability to score runs in all formats.The placid nature of the pitch made it easier for Bedingham to accumulate runs. However, he still displayed excellent technique and timing throughout his innings.