Neesham returns to haunt Steelbacks as Durham call a halt to winning run in the Blast

Darren Lehmann’s side went into the Friday night showdown aiming to make it seven wins out of seven in the North Group, but they were found wanting as Durham produced an strong all-round performance to claim a deserved 15-run victory, with Neesham the star man.

The New Zealander first hit 50 not out from just 34 balls to rescue his side from 77 for five to post 157 for eight, and that proved to be too many as a stuttering Steelbacks batting performance saw them squander a good start to close on 142 for eight.

Neesham also did his bit with the ball, taking three for 29 from his four overs.

Justin Broad, Ben Sanderson and Luke Procter all took two wickets as Durham were contained pretty well after electing to bat, with Matt Breetzke then top-scoring with 41 from 36 balls as the Steelbacks responded well to reach 76 for one in reply.

But wickets then fell at regular intervals as the Steelbacks batters struggled for timing and rhythm, and that saw the large crowd leave Wantage Road disappointed.

Northants, who named an unchanged team to the one that saw off Birmingham Bears in midweek, made a tight start with the ball in hand, with just two boundaries coming off the opening 23 deliveries.

The pressure told on Graham Clark, who was bowled round his legs by Sanderson as he tried to launch a big hit over square leg, and the visitors were 22 for one after four.

Ollie Robinson's stay then last one ball as he was bowled by a beauty from Procter to leave Durham 26 for two and in trouble.

Former England opener Alex Lees was going well though, and he was unbeaten on 26 from 18 balls as Durham closed a powerplay, in which they only hit four fours, on 43 for two.

Colin Ackermann is always a threat in T20 cricket, but he was heading back to the dugout in the seventh over for just seven, playing on to George Scrimshaw's third ball of the match to leave his side 45 for three.

Durham's woes deepened in the next over, as they slumped to 59 for four, with Lees feathering an attempted pull of Justin Broad to Lewis McManus to go for 29 from 22 balls.

That brought Ben Raine to the crease, and he opted to counter-attack, immediately hitting Lloyd Pope for two fours and a six, but he perished in the next over, pinned lbw by Broad having gone a long way across his stumps to try and swipe the ball over square-leg.

Durham were 77 for five at the halfway point with a lot of work to do.

Will Rhodes and Neesham took on the task and quietly accumulated against some disciplined bowling, with just one four being struck between the ninth and 16th over, when Willey brought their 36-run partnership to a close.

The skipper bowled Rhodes for 27 from 25 balls with a full, swinging delivery, and Durham were 113 for six going into the final four overs.

Neesham brought the visitors' boundary drought to an end when he clubbed Scrimshaw over mid-on in the 17th and he added another off the final ball of the over to see his side to 124 for six.

The Kiwi was going to be key to Durham getting a decent total, and he hammered Procter over square-leg for a rare six, but he lost partner Zak Foulkes off the first ball of the penultimate over as he clipped Sanderson to Scrimshaw at short fine-leg and it was 135 for seven.

Neesham hammered Sanderson for a flat six over mid-on, but was off strike for the start of the final over, and Matt Potts skied Procter to Willey to leave Durham 144 for eight.

Crucially, Neesham got down the right end for the final four balls and clubbed 12 off them to see reach 50 not out from 34 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes to see his side to 157 for eight.

The visitors hit 44 runs from the final four productive overs.

The Steelbacks began their reply strongly, with Ricardo Vasconcelos looking in great form as he hit England seamer Matt Potts for three fours in one over.

But after gloriously driving Raine through the covers to take his score to 23 from just 14 balls, he edged behind trying to run the same bowler to third man and the Steelbacks were 34 for one at the end of the fourth.

Breetzke took a liking to Neesham as he hit the first six of the innings over long-off, and he repeated the trick off Foulkes in the next over as Northants ended the powerplay well set on 56 for one.

Breetzke and Willey then kept things ticking over, with the odd four thrown in, until Willey lost patience and sliced left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson to Ackermann at deep cover for 12 off 12, and Northants reached halfway at 77 for two, needing 81 to win from 60 balls.

Saif Zaib came in and hit a couple of nice fours but then Breetzke, who had lost impetus in his innings, gave his wicket away as he tamely hit Parkinson to long-off to fall for 41 from 36 balls and the Steelbacks were 89 for three, with the run-rate creeping up towards nine an over.

That was soon 96 for four in the 14th as Zaib was adjudged lbw to Parkinson and it was very much game on.

The Steelbacks continued to struggle to find the rope with Broad and Ravi Bopara at the crease as Durham turned the screw, and they went into the final five overs needing 54 to win.

The 17th over bowled by Potts saw the Steelbacks muster 11, leaving 36 to get from 18 balls but Bopara then hit Neesham to deep square leg and the home side were in a pickle at 124 for five.

Lewis McManus followed for a golden duck the next ball, edging to deep point, and at 124 for six Durham were sensing blood.

Broad gave it a go, hammering one huge six out of the ground, but when he went for 30 from 23 balls in the penultimate over to leave the home side 136 for seven, the game was up.