Ben Stokes had the last laugh against Yuzvendra Chahal as Durham finished their County Championship match against Northamptonshire with a memorable win. Chahal had already made a big impact with the ball earlier in the game, but when he came out to bat during Northamptonshire’s chase of 204, it was Stokes who produced the crucial moment. The dismissal came in the 23rd over, with Chahal scoring just 2 off 13 balls.
Stokes’ delivery was enough to make Chahal mistime his shot, with David Bedingham completing the catch. The Durham players immediately gathered around Stokes, celebrating the wicket as Northamptonshire’s chase began to fall apart. It was a nice turnaround after Chahal had earlier dismissed Stokes with a brilliant turning delivery in the first innings. Chahal finished that innings with 4/36 and had been one of Northamptonshire’s biggest threats, but this time Stokes got the better of him. The wicket also helped Durham move closer to wrapping up the chase, with Northamptonshire eventually bowled out for just 50 while chasing 204, giving Durham a 153-run victory.
Yuzvendra Chahal takes nine wickets but Durham crush Northamptonshire by 153 runs
Durham produced a stunning finish against Northamptonshire, winning their County Championship Division Two clash by 153 runs at Wantage Road. Durham batted first and made 205, with David Bedingham top-scoring with 81. Yuzvendra Chahal was the standout bowler for Northamptonshire, taking 4/36. Northamptonshire replied with 263, taking a 58-run first-innings lead, led by James Sales’ 69 and Saif Zaib’s 52. Matthew Potts took four wickets for Durham, while Ben Stokes claimed three.
Durham then fought back strongly in their second innings, scoring 261 to set Northamptonshire 204 to win. Alex Lees made 80, while Mayank Agarwal and Stokes added useful runs. Chahal again caused problems, taking 5/84 to finish with nine wickets in the match. But Northamptonshire’s chase completely fell apart. Callum Parkinson ripped through the batting with 6/20, while Stokes took 2/9. Northamptonshire were bowled out for just 50 in 22.2 overs, with none of their batters reaching double figures. Stokes completed the win by dismissing Chahal for two, caught by Bedingham. The victory strengthened Durham’s position at the top of Division Two, while Northamptonshire suffered a major blow in the promotion race.
