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Wood’s menace brings delight for Durham – and England
- Updated: August 10, 2016
Durham 180 for 5 (Stoneman 61, Richardson 37, Jennings 36) beat Gloucestershire 161 (J Taylor 80) by 19 runs Scorecard
A fresh England fast bowler, snorting with ambition and with only 32 overs on the clock all season, is a wonderful attribute for a side seeking to reach NatWest Blast Finals Day. Durham had that player in Mark Wood, whose England career has been disrupted by injury all season, but who took out his frustrations on Gloucestershire in Bristol to clinch a place at Edgbaston.
Gloucestershire, met by Durham’s 180 for 5, needed the second highest T20 total ever achieved at Bristol to progress, but within Wood’s hostile first two overs, with his pace around 90mph, that target had receded into the distance. Hamish Marshall, cramped on an attempted pull, spliced to Jennings at square leg and Ian Cockbain, with 499 runs to his name in the group stages, fell for nought as he uncomfortably fended another short ball to the same fielder.
They succumbed for 161, getting closer than they ever imagined in a wonderful tie because of a truculent half-century from Jack Taylor, who stared down Gloucestershire disarray at 61 for 6 in the 11th and tore into the leg-spin of Scott Borthwick and malfunctioning medium pace of Paul Collingwood in turn, Collingwood forced out of the attack because of two full tosses above waist high: add three legitimate balls and he spilled 22 runs. He was probably relieved to have to call it a day.
Taylor, who finished with 80 not out from 41 balls, had taken Gloucestershire to within 27 from the last 12 when Wood returned for his last over. Wood had damaged Gloucestershire but not quite killed them. Ludicrously, Andrew Tye was run out risking an unlikely second to Usman Arshad at fine leg when it would have been wiser to give Taylor the strike. Even more galling for Taylor was the finale when he ended up at the same end as his brother, Matt, who was run out with an over remaining. Brotherly telepathy can never be guaranteed. …
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