Middlesex edge out Durham in thriller

Middlesex Crusaders kept up their pressure for promotion from the National League Division Two by edging out Durham Dynamos by a single run at Southgate.

With three runs required from the final ball Neil Killeen and Simon Katich managed only a leg-bye - a disappointing conclusion for their 37 runs stand in four overs for Durham's last wicket.

At one point Durham, who needed to make 174 to win, seemed to be well placed at 121-4 with 11 overs still to go. Then Simon Cook took three wickets in as any balls to help topple the visitors to 135-9. Now it seemed to be Middlesex who were safe until the last-wicket partnership almost snatched an improbable victory.

Left-handers Andrew Strauss (43) and Justin Langer got a more secure grip in their 48 runs partnership in 14 overs. Both were out in consecutive overs and the run-rate slowed. Mark Ramprakash and Paul Weekes had just restarted the momentum with 52 in 13 overs when the former fell to Paul Collingwood.

Spinners Nicky Phillips, with three wickets, and Katich staunched the flow of runs in tying down the batsmen. Killeen ran through the lower-order with 4-18. Middlesex' disappointment at the total was relieved when Durham were reduced to 32-3 by the tenth over. Katich (70 n.o. from 101 deliveries) and Collingwood put Durham back in contention with 61 runs in 15 overs before Cook's onslaught.