Mustard runs hot

Phil Mustard © Getty Images

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Phil Mustard continued his extraordinary run of form as Durham knocked Yorkshire off the top of the NatWest Pro40 Second Division.

Following his 21-ball half-century against Leicestershire on Sunday, Mustard reached the milestone off 27 deliveries in sweeping Durham to a nine-wicket win at Chester-le-Street.

He was unbeaten on 66, which included 11 fours and two sixes, when the target was reached in 15.4 overs after Yorkshire crawled to 122 all out in 39.5 overs.

In the absence of Darren Gough with a shin injury and Michael Vaughan following a back spasm, acting captain Anthony McGrath had to rescue Yorkshire from the wreckage of one for three.

But against accurate bowling his half-century took 108 balls as Yorkshire seemed to view with suspicion a pitch which lacked the pace and bounce of Scarborough, the venue for Sunday’s defeat by Surrey.

Durham were without Michael Di Venuto because of a suspected hernia, so Gareth Breese opened and contributed 32 to a stand of 67 before he was run out.

Kyle Coetzer hit six fours in his unbeaten 26 off 21 balls as he shared an unbroken stand of 59 in five overs with Mustard.

After slumping to 58 for eight on their way to defeat by Surrey, Yorkshire chose to bat but lost Jacques Rudolph to the first ball.

He shaped to drive Ottis Gibson's loosener, which flicked his off bail, then seven balls later Neil Killeen drifted one in to have Craig White lbw.

In the next over Gerard Brophy clipped Gibson straight to Coetzer at mid-wicket, and it took until the sixth over for McGrath to score the first run off the bat.

Inzamam-ul-Haq guided the next ball wide of gully, but he never settled and in the 14th over he fell lbw trying to work Ben Harmison's fifth ball to leg.

McGrath, who hit only three fours, and Andrew Gale laboured for 21 overs to put on 70 before Breese and fellow off-spinner Paul Wiseman shared five wickets and Richard Pyrah was run out off the penultimate ball.

The only defiant blows came from Tim Bresnan in the 37th over, when a straight six and a swept four off successive balls from Wiseman were the first boundaries for 18 overs.