Agar and McManus Lead Northamptonshire to Vital Victory Over Durham

Northamptonshire 91 for 4 (Agar 31) triumphed over Durham 90 for 5 (Turner 36) by six wickets.

In a rain-affected match at the Seat Unique Riverside, Ashton Agar and Lewis McManus powered Northamptonshire Steelbacks to a vital win in the Vitality Blast, securing a six-wicket victory over Durham.

Durham, having been put in to bat by the Steelbacks, reached a competitive total of 90 for five from their reduced allocation of eight overs. Ashton Turner, continuing his fine form with 36 runs, along with Colin Ackermann’s 25, helped Durham set a challenging target, despite some inconsistent fielding from the visitors.

Agar, batting at No. 3, smashed 31 runs to lay a strong foundation for the Steelbacks' chase of 91. McManus and Saif Zaib then steered the team to victory with six wickets in hand.

This victory puts Northamptonshire in a favourable position for qualification, with two more games to play—a home match against Birmingham Bears and an away game at Lancashire. Durham, on the other hand, must rely on other results going their way, as they have only one group game remaining, a trip to Derbyshire on Friday night.

Heavy rain at Chester-le-Street delayed the start of play until 5:10 pm, reducing the game to eight overs per side. The Steelbacks won the toss and chose to bowl first, with Graham Clark and Michael Jones tasked with providing Durham a solid start in the challenging conditions.

However, Clark was dismissed on the first ball of the innings, chipping a delivery from Jack White to mid-on. Ben Sanderson then dismissed Alex Lees for 1, putting Durham under significant pressure at 2 for 2 before Turner was dropped by Agar on his first ball.

Jones responded by hitting consecutive sixes over the leg-side boundary, and Turner joined in with some big hitting, pulling a David Willey delivery for six and following it up with a ramp shot for four.

Agar made an immediate impact in the attack, stumping the dangerous Jones for 16. In the same over, Ben Raine was dropped twice on the boundary by Gus Miller.

Raine was eventually run out for 5 by Matthew Breetzke, but Turner continued his aggressive play with back-to-back boundaries off Sanderson. Turner and Ackermann combined for a 45-run partnership before Willey dismissed Ackermann for 25 in the final over.

The Steelbacks’ innings started poorly with Ben Dwarshuis bowling the dangerous Willey on the first ball. Agar then clipped one off his legs for six, providing a much-needed boundary for the Steelbacks.

Agar found his rhythm, hitting Raine for consecutive boundaries and dispatching any width offered by the Durham attack, particularly in Bas de Leede's over, which went for 23 runs. Nathan Sowter eventually removed Agar for 31, catching him on the boundary with his second ball. Sowter continued to create chances, but Breetzke was dropped by Lees on 11.

Breetzke didn’t last long, bowled by Callum Parkinson for 20. Ravi Bopara followed, hitting an aerial shot that narrowly evaded de Leede. Sowter then dismissed Bopara for 6, but Zaib and McManus hit crucial boundaries to guide the Steelbacks to victory.