Yuzvendra Chahal starred with 3/30 as Northamptonshire crushed Durham by 150 runs in the One-Day Cup. James Sales hit a maiden List A century in a total of 321/8. Durham were bowled out for 171, with Chahal playing a key role in dismantling their chase.
Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a masterclass as Northamptonshire secured their first One-Day Cup victory of the season, crushing Durham by 150 runs at the Banks Homes Riverside. Chahalโs figures of 3 for 30 from six overs played a pivotal role in dismantling Durhamโs batting lineup and cementing a dominant performance for Northamptonshire.
Batting first, the Lewis McManus-led side posted a commanding total of 321 for 8, thanks largely to James Salesโ brilliant maiden List A century. Tim Robinson and Justin Broad supported him well in the middle, scoring 63 and 59 runs, respectively. Later, Chahal took charge of the ball and pushed Durham out of the race. The leg-spinner was instrumental in restricting Durhamโs chase, using sharp variations and clever flight to consistently trouble the batsmen.
Chahalโs wickets came at crucial moments. He first forced Paul Coughlin into a mistimed drive to cover, then bowled Mitchell Killeen, who was troubling Northamptonshire earlier. Notably, his ability to read the batsmen and exploit their weaknesses was clear as he wrapped up his spell with those three well-earned wickets, stifling Durhamโs hopes of a comeback.
Durham bundled for 171 runs
The Alex Lees-led side had a poor start to the chase as they were reduced to 39/3 at one stage. The captain departed for five runs, while his opening partner, Emilio Gay, failed to open his tally. Later, David Bedingham showed some fighting spirit, but he couldnโt capitalise on the start and made only 30 runs. The middle order was exposed early, which Chahal capitalised on.
Apart from Chahal, Luke Procter and Liam Guthrie had a decent game, picking up two wickets each. For the Indian spinner, he now has six wickets to his name in three matches. Currently, the spinner is out of the scheme of things in all three formats. It opened the door for him to play in England in the off-season, but despite the consistent performances, it might be difficult for him to get back into the national team set-up again, particularly in ODIs.