Tillakaratne Dilshan passes milestone but Durham snatch dramatic win over Derbyshire

The Sri Lankan hit 54 off 49 balls but the Falcons lost four wickets for four runs in 8 balls chasing the Jets 147 for 7 as Durham celebrated a sixth consecutive T20 victory over Derbyshire.

Derbyshire looked to be cruising at 137 – 5 but John Hastings struck twice in two balls and the Falcons crumbed under pressure to slump to their third defeat in four games.

Ben Stoke made only 19 in Durham’s innings but Paul Collingwood’s 41 gave the Jets a total that proved too much for Derbyshire.

Nathan Rimmington made his debut after missing three games with a broken finger and yorked the dangerous Phil Mustard for 19 in the firth over after the Jets took 24 from the first two overs.

Graham Clark came in for his Durham debut but made only five before he was bowled swinging across the line at Shiv Thakor and Stokes was almost run out before he drove Wayne White over long on for the first six.

Derbyshire switched Dilshan to the City End and he trapped Mark Stoneman lbw for 28 before there was an even bigger scalp for the Sri Lankan when Stokes pulled him into the hands of long on in the 12th over.

With only 17 coming from five overs, the Jets were losing altitude asTom Knight made an amazing leaping save at long on to deny Gordan Muchall a six.

Derbyshire had Durham pegged down to the extent that they did not hit a boundary for 39 balls until Collingwood scooped Rimmington to fine leg in the 17th and the pressure told when Muchall drove White to long on.

Collingwood reverse swept Rimmington for four but Durham’s hopes of breaking Derbyshire’s stranglehold were dashed when he was caught at short third man off the next ball.

Durham had to match Derbyshire’s impressive display in the field to have a chance of defending what looked an under-par total but Wes Durston cut and pulled Usman Arshad for boundaries and then crunched Chris Rushworth through the covers for another four.

Durston was missed at backward square on 10 and he celebrated by pulling and driving Stoke’s first two balls for four but was then run out by a direct hit from point by Collingwood.

But Dilshan pulled John Hastings for four and six as The Falcons scored 50 from the first five overs and a misfield brought him another four.

Chesney Hughes plundered four fours before he missed a cut at Scott Borthwick and Derbyshire stumbled when Scott Elstone holed out at long on and Billy Godleman was stumped charging Ryan Pringle.

Dilshan reached 50 from 47 balls but was then superbly caught at short third man and when Hastings bowled Tom Poynton and had Knight caught behind first ball, Durham scented victory.

Shiv Thakor skied Usman Arshad to cover and when White was caught by Stokes at deep midwicket, Durham had pulled off an unlikely victory.