Wood blows Yorks away, Durham into final

Durham 156 for 6 (Stokes 56) beat Yorkshire 149 for 9 (Lyth 64, Wood 4-25, Rushworth 3-19) by seven runs Scorecard

Mark Wood’s menace got Durham into a NatWest Blast semi-final – and there was no let-up once Finals Day dawned as he bowled Durham to a stunning seven-run victory against Yorkshire in a high-quality match at Edgbaston.

Two ankle operations and nagging fears that his season might be over were pushed aside as Wood, once again looking as hostile as any fast bowler in the country, ended Yorkshire’s hopes of a treble with figures of 4 for 25, his best in T20, in three excellent spells delivered to order for Durham’s captain Paul Collingwood.

So the Blast final became a contest between two of the most financially stricken countries in the country – Northants and Durham – both of whom have had to rise above their issues and who proved far from bankrupt on the field on a Birmingham day of tormenting heavy showers.

Yorkshire’s defeat also came with an injury to David Willey which will concern England ahead of the one-day series against Pakistan. A ferocious return drive from Mark Stoneman in his second over struck him on his left wrist, a technical chance that would have ended the involvement of lesser men. A break must be feared.

Unlike in their quarter-final victory against Glamorgan in Cardiff, Yorkshire could easily cover the absence of an overseas player – Travis Head having been summoned by Australia for the one-day series in Sri Lanka – by the influx of three England batsmen: Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance.

Indeed, by fielding them all their balance was batting heavy, relying on three pace bowlers plus the spin of Azeem Rafiq and Adil Rashid with no seam-bowling cover. With Rashid scheduled to bat at No 10, there was an argument for omitting Ballance, England player or not, for an extra seamer, especially with the weather so grouchy.

Such batting insurance, though, looked invaluable the …

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