Report & Reaction: Hampshire Men v Durham, Metro Bank One-Day Cup

Metro Bank One-Day Cup men’s competition - Hampshire 246 lost to Durham 249/1 by nine wickets

By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Emilio Gay produced a lavish third List A century as Durham smashed Hampshire by nine wickets in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup – to send them into the top two of Group B.

Toby Albert and Jake Lehmann had put Hampshire in line for a high-score with fifties, but an eight-wicket collapse in the last 14 overs only got them to 246.

Graham Clark set the tone for a dominant chase with 68 off 58 before Gay and Ollie Robinson – a run-a-ball 64 – pulverised the Hampshire bowlers.

England Test star Gay was the linchpin to partnerships of 101 and 148 and reached an earned three-figures with a six – which also won the match with 11 and half overs to spare.

Hampshire chose to bat and for 36 overs they coaxed themselves into a strong position to kick on from – before Durham put all that to waste with ruthless death overs.

Openers Ali Orr and Nick Gubbins had fallen in the powerplay, Toby Albert and Jake Lehmann settled in and were immovable.

Albert, on his first One-Day Cup appearance of the season, targeted the tiny side boundary skilfully for 11 boundaries in his sixth List A fifty. While Lehmann gently scored his first 50-over fifty for Hampshire.

But just as Albert looked destined to convert – four which had been unbeaten – he top edged a sweep. It ended a 126-run stand and facilitated a sensational collapse.

Durham took eight wickets for 70 runs in 14 overs, helped by all the bowlers, but most specifically Shafiqullah Ghafari and Will Rhodes who each took three wickets.

All three of Afghani leg-spinner Ghafari’s career-best three for 41 came from batters playing across the line, whereas medium-pacer Rhodes was rewarded for nagging lines with three for 29.

One player conspicuous absence on the bowling card was Ben Stokes – who didn’t bowl for the first time in the competition. He also wouldn’t be needed with the bat.

Where Hampshire built steadily, Durham raced ahead in the chase and never looked back.

Graham Clark took a glance at the 50-odd yard boundary and peppered it with four sixes and seven fours, dominating a century stand with Emilio Gay.

Clark, who chewed for one of 30 in the last match, smashed his 17th List A half-century in 40 balls. Even though he was lbw to Felix Organ he had set the platform for a breezy chase.

Gay and Robinson ticked off the rest of the runs with just two major scares – when James Fuller and Tom Prest collided attempted to take a skyer, and when Gay was dropped on 90.

Otherwise, the name of the game was sensibly picking gaps and staying far above the required rate.

Gay had masterminded the whole innings and ended the match with a six over long off to bring up a deserved 108-ball ton.

Durham are back to winning ways, after having a three-match streak ended by Yorkshire on Friday, while Hampshire are fighting to reach the knockouts after their third defeat.