Dynamos clinch dramatic win

Plunkett proved the hero at Cheltenham

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NatWest Pro40 - Division One
Cheltenham
Durham Dynamos 206 (K J Coetzer 63, S P Kirby 4-32) v Gloucestershire Gladiators 205 (W T S Porterfield 62, J Lewis 54, I D Blackwell 4-36)
Durham beat Gloucestershire by 1 run

A 36-ball half-century from Jon Lewis proved futile as Durham pulled off a thrilling one-run Pro40 win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Chasing 207 for victory, the Gladiators launched an inspired fightback after being reduced to 104-7 and only required two runs off the last over, bowled by Liam Plunkett.

However, last man Steve Kirby edged Plunkett's first delivery to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard and the Gladiators were bowled out for 205, Will Porterfield top-scoring with 62.

The Irishman's contribution at the top of the order lit up an otherwise dismal Gloucestershire batting display, in which three players registered ducks.

The tone for their performance with the willow was set when opener Kadeer Ali was trapped lbw by Neil Killeen off the first ball of their chase.

Collapse

The home side suffered an even bigger blow when captain Alex Gidman was forced to retire hurt seven runs later after being hit in the face by a short ball from Mitchell Claydon.

From there on Durham took utter control, Gloucestershire collapsing from 79-1 to 105-7 as Ian Blackwell (4-36) blitzed through the middle-order.

However, the majority of the 3,500 strong crowd harboured hopes of an unlikely victory when Lewis (54) and Richard Dawson (31) added 81 in rapid time for Gloucestershire's eighth wicket.

When Lewis was out, 23 were still needed and despite Gidman returning with a runner, Dawson departed with only 12 required and Durham were one wicket from victory.

Gidman and Kirby inched towards the target to gasps and cheers from home supporters, however Plunkett induced the edge in the final over to trigger wild celebrations from the North East county.

Invaluable

Earlier, the Dynamos' batting had lacked inspiration after the early fall of openers Mustard and Blackwell with only 31 on the board.

Blackwell hit two sixes in his 23 but was guilty of playing one shot too many when he holed out to James Franklin off Kirby.

Ben Harmison and Kyle Coetzer rebuilt the Durham innings with a breezy 66-run stand after Will Smith (8) and Dale Benkenstein (2) fell cheaply.

Harmison was dismissed three short of his half-century when he top-edged a sweep off Chris Taylor to Porterfield at mid-wicket, having hit only three fours in his 63-ball stay.

It was 184-7 when Coetzer's invaluable innings of 63 ended - bowled by Dawson in an 82-ball stay which included four boundaries and one six.