Notts undone by Ackermann blitz as Durham post club record Blast total

The home side made 231 for five and the visitors replied with 182 all out, Kasey Aldridge, who had only taken two T20 wickets previously, finishing with a career-best five for 29 from 2.4 overs.

The home openers, Alex Lees and Graham Clark, began in uncompromising fashion, by putting on 70 runs in six overs.

Joe Clarke’s decision to use the spinners, Farhan Ahmed and Calvin Harrison, in tandem slowed the run rate but it was Matthew Montgomery who took the first wicket on 83 when he had Clark caught.

Nevertheless, Durham’s hundred came up in the eleventh over and Lees reached a 34-ball fifty a few deliveries later.

Olly Stone was reintroduced and was whacked for three successive boundaries before gaining his revenge with the next ball when he had the Durham skipper caught by Harrison on the deep backward square leg boundary for a 46-ball 77.

The dangerous Jimmy Neesham was bowled by Harrison for three and Ben McKinney was caught on the long-on boundary by Harrison off Montgomery for three. Nevertheless, Durham had been well placed on 154 for three after 16 overs and they were able to pillage an astonishing 77 runs in the final four overs.

Nottinghamshire’s pursuit of their distant target began poorly when Freddie McCann was dismissed off the fourth ball of their innings, caught by Will Rhodes off Callum Parkinson for five, but the visitors were going well on 37 for one after 3.2 overs until Jack Haynes was brilliantly caught by Lees off Kasey Aldridge for 14 , the Durham skipper running back twenty yards from mid off to take the steepling chance.

But the fall of wickets could make no difference to the Outlaws’ approach. Lyndon James hit his first two balls for four and Jimmy Neesham’s first over cost 19 runs. Nottinghamshire scored 76 runs in their powerplay, six more than their hosts, but their onslaught was halted by Nathan Sowter, who conceded five runs in his first six balls and had James caught at deep midwicket by McKinney for 30.

Clarke was the next to go, caught at short third man by Sowter for a 25-ball 41 when attempting to ramp Neesham and the visitors reached the midpoint of their innings on 112 for four, still needing 120 to win. That task seemed tougher still when Aldridge struck twice in four balls, bowling Moores for five and having Liam Patterson-White caught at long off by Rhodes for eight.

Parkinson conceded 19 runs off his next over as the Outlaws dispensed with any scrap of caution but Sams was bowled by Sowter for nine. With seven overs remaining, 76 runs were still required and that was reduced to 61 off six thanks to Montgomery taking 14 off three deliveries from Parkinson.

Aldridge took his fourth wicket when he had Harrison caught at backward point by Clark for seven and Olly Stone was run out for nought next ball after a complete mix-up. Aldridge completed his career-best figures when he had Montgomery caught behind by Ollie Robinson for 41,