Former Proteas all-rounder Ryan McLaren starred with bat and ball as Lancashire beat Durham in the Natwest T20 Blast on Sunday night.
Lancashire vs Durham
Lancashire won their third match of the tournament, as the 2015 champions continued Durham’s winless drought that has seen them go four matches without a victory in the North Group. In a match boasting plenty of talented T20 players, such as Jos Buttler and Pakistan’s Champions Trophy star Junaid Khan, Ryan McLaren emerged as the most impressive. McLaren scored 32 off 18 balls, which included four fours and a six, this after Liam Livingstone’s 61 and Dane Vilas‘s 21 helped them on their way to 174-5.
Durham, who have Stephen Cook on their books in the County Championship, were never in the chase, as they were restricted to 143-8. McLaren was among the pick of the bowlers, taking the first wicket of Graham Clark for 24, before finishing with figures of 2-35, helping his side to leave Durham 31 runs short.
Warwickshire vs Derbyshire
Derbyshire’s South African-littered side couldn’t prevent a 20-run defeat to Warwickshire in Birmingham, to leave both sides on three wins apiece in the North Group. Warwicks posted 197-4, thanks to blistering 50s from Ed Pollock (not related to the Pollock family) and New Zealand export Colin de Grandhomme. There were some largely disappointing shifts from Imran Tahir (0-34) and Hardus Viljoen, who took two wickets, but it came at a price of 48 runs.
Durban-born Wayne Madsen, the leading run-scorer in the tournament so far, with 291 runs at an average of 72.75, could only muster 16, while former Dolphins all-rounder and wicketkeeper Daryn Smit struggled to lift off with a 19-ball 18. They had to settle for 177-9, 20 runs shy of the mark.
Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
