Reigning champions Dynamos begin campaign with nervy win
Steve Harmison is aiming to return to the England side for the first Test against New Zealand on May 15th
Sunday, 20, Apr 2008 08:26
Reigning champions Durham squeezed past Yorkshire by five runs in the Friends Provident Trophy at the Riverside.
After being put into the bat, the Dynamos posted a modest target of 220 with Neil McKenzie top-scoring with 77 off 123 balls.
Tim Bresnan took 3-51 and then starred with the bat with 55 off 58 balls before being dismissed by Graham Onions, with Yorkshire needing six runs off two balls.
A welcome sight for England fans was Steve Harmison bowling at 90mph and taking 2-40 in his ten overs.
Elsewhere, Andrew Strauss struck 163 as Middlesex thumped Surrey by 58 runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method at the Oval.
Strauss hit his highest one-day score while England team-mate Owais Shah made 98 as Middlesex set an imposing total of 316 to win.
Surrey were skittled out for 248 in reply with Scott Newman making 65 while James Benning hit 47.
Mark Ramprakash was dismissed for a duck, while Gareth Berg was the pick of the Middlesex bowlers with 4-50.
At Taunton, all-rounder Ian Blackwell smashed an unbeaten 86 to give Somerset a six-wicket win over Hampshire.
The Hawks were all out for 221 after being put into bat with Nic Pothas reaching 55 and Dimitri Mascarenhas hitting 53.
With the Sabres in trouble on 91-4 in reply, Blackwell whacked 11 boundaries and a six to give his side victory with 14 balls to spare.
Elsewhere, Gloucestershire beat Worcestershire by seven wickets at Bristol thanks to an opening stand of 97 between Kadeer Hill and New Zealand's Hamish Marshall.
Essex saw off Kent by 31 runs after opener Mark Pettini smashed 119 off 141 balls at Canterbury.
Lancashire's clash with Derbyshire, Leicestershire against Northamptonshire, and Nottinghamshire's trip to Warwickshire were all abandoned due to heavy rain.