
Nathan Sowter five-for, Graham Clark century see Durham steamroll Northants
Tracy Mensah
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Durham 141 for 0 (Clark 102*) beat Northamptonshire 137 (Vasconcelos 52, Sowter 5-15) by ten wicketsLegspinner Nathan Sowter ran riot with career-best bowling figures of 5 for 15 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks were humbled by Durham in this Vitality Blast clash at Wantage Road.Sowter bagged his maiden five-wicket haul, setting off a Steelbacks batting collapse of 5 for 17 to restrict them to just 137 in their 20 overs. Opener Graham Clark then powered 102 off just 49 balls (13 fours, four sixes) to record his first T20 century as Durham motored to their target with 6.4 overs to spare to win by 10 wickets.Sowter's wickets had stemmed the tide after Ricardo Vasconelos (52) and Saif Zaib shared an enterprising 62-run partnership in 6.2 overs.That stand came after the Steelbacks lost dangermen Chris Lynn and David Willey in the space of five balls at the start of their innings and gave them a strong platform of 98 for 3 at the start of the 14th over before Sowter ran amok.Steelbacks skipper had Willey won the toss but was soon ruing his decision to bat first as Bas de Leede marked his Durham T20 Blast debut in style. First the Dutch international's inswing accounted for Australian power hitter Lynn who had his off stump knocked back on 0 off the third ball of the innings. Then Willey, playing his 250th career T20 game, was caught behind on 1 to leave the hosts stumbling on 2 for 2.Josh Cobb struck de Leede twice through point for four and top-edged him over the keeper for another boundary before his innings ended tamely when he offered Sowter a return catch off a full toss.At this point the Steelbacks were 36 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, but Vasconcelos quickly picked up the mantle, twice powering Ben Raine through the covers. He was unafraid to go the aerial route which kept the fielders interested, benefiting on 15 when Luke Doneathy shelled a difficult chance in the deep running backwards. But he grew in authority, pulling Liam Trevaskis over deep square leg for six and scooping de Leede for four.Zaib played
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Nathan Sowter five-for, Graham Clark century see Durham steamroll Northants
Tracy Mensah