T20 Blast: Durham make record total to go top of North Group

Colin Ackermann led Durham to their record T20 total as they comfortably beat Nottinghamshire to go top of the T20 Blast North Group.

Ackermann struck 83 from just 33 balls with six sixes to help his side post 231-5.

Alex Lees also made 77 from 46 deliveries before Notts were bowled out for 182.

Elsewhere, Lancashire won the top-of-the-table clash at Northampton while South group leaders Somerset lost at home to Glamorgan.

Durham’s previous best total was made last year in Zimbabwe when they racked up 229-6 against Eagles but that mark was blown away at Chester-le-Street.

Graham Clark began the run-fest with 40 from 27 balls before Lees and Ackermann took over and England paceman Olly Stone was carted for 42 in only three overs.

Notts were always struggling in reply and Kasey Aldridge, who had previously only taken one T20 wicket, ran through the lower order to return 5-29.

Victory sent Durham top of the table on net run-rate, while Notts slip to sixth with four games remaining.

Northants and Lancashire began the night first and second in the group and England white-ball opener Phil Salt struck 80 from 57 balls in Lancashire’s five-wicket win at Wantage Road.

Chasing 178, Salt hit eight fours and four sixes, while former England limited-overs captain Jos Buttler made 54 from 42 deliveries.

Neither could see their side home and Salt departed with 23 needed from two overs, which became 11 from the final six balls.

But Luke Procter bowled a wide full toss that Luke Wells belted over long-on for six before the next ball disappeared over the same fielder to seal victory.

Also in the North group, James Wharton and Will Luxton led Yorkshire to a 41-run victory over Worcestershire for just their third win of the competition.

The hosts lost openers Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan cheaply before 24-year-old Wharton made 88 from 47 balls and Luxton, 22, a career-best 81, also from 47 balls, to lead their side to 233-6.

Pears captain Brett D’Oliveria made 53 from 36 balls in reply but Worcestershire were never in the chase.

Both sides are now eight points off fourth place – and with it qualification for the quarter-finals – with five games to play.

Birmingham Bears now occupy fourth place in the group on net run-rate after a six-wicket win at Leicestershire.

Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali took 4-22 as Bears bowled their hosts out for 154 at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Dan Mousley then led his side home with an unbeaten 64 in 48 balls with eight fours.

Birmingham and Leicestershire have an identical record in the competition, with 20 points after nine matches.

In the South group, Somerset remain top but fell to a second defeat of the tournament as they lost by two runs to Glamorgan at Taunton.

Colin Ingram made 55 from 33 balls for the visitors before Dan Douthwaite finished the innings off by hitting 56 from 32 deliveries, helping take 33 from the final two overs.

Will Smeed got the chase under way with 72 in 49 deliveries but Ned Leonard, who left Somerset over the winter, kept chipping away with the ball and finished with a career-best 5-25.

Somerset were left needing 16 from the final over and it was Douthwaite who closed the game out.

Sussex consolidated third place with a 34-run win over Kent, who move down to fifth.

Daniel Hughes struck 48 from 28 balls and Tom Clark 43 from 25 to help Sussex post 195-9 at Canterbury.

And despite Harry Finch’s 56 from only 26 balls, Kent were always struggling and were bowled out for 161.

And reigning champions Gloucestershire picked up only the third win of their title defence with a 13-run triumph at Essex.

Captain Jack Taylor hit 50 in 35 balls and Ben Charlesworth an unbeaten 47 from 31 in their 184-7.

Essex never got on top of the chase and lost regular wickets but did take the game to the final over with 16 needed before Mohammad Amir was run out and they were bowled out for 171.