Graham Clark hits Durham's fastest fifty to down Leicestershire

Durham beat Leicestershire Foxes by six wickets to make it two wins in a row in the Vitality Blast with Graham Clark's fastest T20 fifty. Durham were disciplined with their bowling throughout and limited the Foxes' run-making opportunities as they made 148 for 8, with Matthew Potts picking up three scalps. Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat first. Durham's chase got off to a scintillating start, with Clark smashing an 18-ball half-century as Durham dominated the Foxes' bowling attack during the powerplay. That set the platform for a convincing Durham win as they chased down the target of 149 with six overs to spare. Durham struck early as Stephen Eskinazi sent a Callum Parkinson delivery up in the air and it was caught at long-on. An excellent piece of fielding off his own bowling by Nathan Sowter then dismissed Rishi Patel, as the leg-spinner palmed a straight drive from Sol Budinger into the stumps with Patel short of his ground. When Nick Kelly hit a Ben Raine ball to cover, Durham almost had their third goal, but a diving Alex Lees couldn't hold on. Budinger, who had played well, beat Parkinson for six down the field; however, the former Leicestershire player got his retribution when the opener missed a shot to backward point. Ex-Durham man Ashton Turner joined Kelly at the crease and Leicestershire's overseas duo defied Durham for a brief period. Turner then smashed a Sowter ball down the ground for six, but Kelly fell at the hands of Kasey Aldridge, who sent the Kiwi's stumps flying. Potts then got his first wicket as he bowled Ben Cox, he then got Turner out in the same over as he pulled a short ball to deep square. Raine then got his wicket as Ben Mike holed out to a fielder in the deep, while Potts picked up his third as he dismissed Foxes skipper Ben Green. Leicestershire set Durham a target of 149 and the Foxes almost had the wicket of Clark in the first over, as Mike dropped one at deep square after the Durham opener looked to clear the ropes. Durham looked to set the tone for their chase in the powerplay, with Alex Lees hitting Josh Davey for three boundaries in an over and Clark clubbed four balls from Josh Hull over the ropes. Durham kept their foot on the gas as Lees smashed one straight down the ground for six after taking a significant chunk out of the target. Clark then clubbed back-to-back sixes off Ben Green to pass fifty off 18 balls, a new record for Durham in T20s. Leicestershire then had something to cheer about as Mike bowled Lees, ending an opening stand of 107. That led to a flurry of wickets as Raine was caught on the boundary off Mike and Liam Trevaskis got Clark and David Bedingham. The damage had been done though and Durham won with plenty of time to spare.