Vilas century can't disguise bleak outcome

Lancashire 304 for 8 (Vilas 108, Davies 50, Collingwood 3-43) beat Durham 276 for 9 (Richardson 58, Jarvis 3-42) by 28 runs
Scorecard

South African Dane Vilas's second century of the series allowed Lancashire to win their final Royal London Cup group game by 28 runs against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

But neither side made progress. Durham could have gone ahead of Nottinghamshire into third place, but the one point the Outlaws gained from the washout at Northampton ended Lancashire's hopes.

Paul Collingwood's three wickets saw Lancashire stumble to 126 for 4 after a good start, but Vilas's onslaught helped them to gather 135 runs from the last 15 overs, compared with 76 off the previous 15.

The second 50 in his 83-ball century came off 26 balls and his fifth-wicket stand of 118 in 16 overs with Steven Croft proved crucial.

Excellent bowling from left-arm spinner George Harding, as well as Collingwood, put the brakes on Lancashire after they were put in and got off to a flier.

Paul Coughlin, otherwise expensive, made the breakthrough on 59 after Karl Brown clubbed him for six and four in the tenth over then miscued to mid-off.

Haseeb Hameed and Liam Livingstone both fell to Collingwood. Extra bounce surprised Hameed, who steered to a wide slip, and after settling in sensibly Livingstone went for a big hit and skied to deep mid-on.

Opener Alex Davies played strongly off the back foot in reaching 50 off 54 balls but then lobbed a slower ball from Collingwood to mid-wicket.

Vilas and Croft progressed quietly for ten overs before the floodgates opened in the 37th, bowled by Coughlin. Vilas scooped him over the wicketkeeper for four as 14 came off the over and the return of Chris Rushworth was greeted by two pulls for four either side of a straight driven six.

Croft departed for 41, bowled when trying to sweep Harding, but Ryan McLaren helped to maintain the momentum until he sliced James Weighell to deep cover in the 49th over.

Weighell's next ball, a slow full toss, bowled Vilas for 108, providing some solace after the bowler began the over with none for 67. Like Coughlin, he dropped short too often.

Lancashire did not make the same mistake. The accuracy of Kyle Jarvis was rewarded when he knocked back Keaton Jennings' off stump then Stephen Cook edged James Anderson to slip.

Graham Clark contributed 32 to a stand of 57 in ten overs with Michael Richardson before picking up Danny Lamb to deep square leg, where Brown back-pedalled to hold a one-handed catch high to his right.

On 35, Richardson had to send for a runner and shortly afterwards Collingwood was slow to respond after playing the ball to short third man. He was run out for 20, and Richardson went for broke, taking 16 off an over from Anderson before inside-edging Stephen Parry into his stumps for 58.

There were brief flurries from all the middle order and the last-wicket pair added 44. But Durham never looked likely to get close.