Durham destroy Gloucestershire in six balls as Bedingham and Aldridge lead dominant County Championship victory.
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Team only requires four runs to win?
It only took six balls for Durham to complete the task.
Durham completed a stunning 10-wicket victory over Gloucestershire on the fourth morning of their County Championship Division Two match, with the final four runs coming quickly. However, most of the damage had been done.
David Bedingham and Kasey Aldridge were the big names behind this successful win.
Bedingham Sets The Tone
David Bedingham has again proven himself as one of Durham’s best batters this season.
The South African-born batter made a brilliant 122 runs. It was his fifth century of the year, indicating just how good his season has been.
Bedingham showed great composure on the crease, finding gaps, hitting the bad balls and getting the scoreboard moving. His century gave Durham the perfect foundation to put on a game-winning total and put Gloucestershire on the ropes.
He is now close to reaching the big 1,000-run mark for the year; reaching that mark would be another big achievement in a stellar season for the South African-born batter.
- David Bedingham: 122 runs
- Fifth century of the season
- Closing in on 1,000 runs
But Bedingham was not the only Durham player who made headlines.
Aldridge Tears through Batters
Whereas Bedingham may have hurt Gloucestershire with the bat, Kasey Aldridge was just as damaging with the ball.
Aldridge produced a stunning performance with the ball, taking 9 wickets for 63 runs between the two innings.
His first spell was particularly deadly as he took 5 wickets for 16 runs, putting pressure on the county batting line-up.
He followed this up with 4 wickets for 47 runs in the second innings to deny Gloucestershire a lead.
Durham also had the support of their international stars, with Brydon Carse taking four wickets and Ben Stokes providing his usual class with the bat.
Finally, Matthew Potts chipped in with the winning runs on the morning of day four.
Gloucestershire did have a couple of bright sparks in their batting line-up, with James Bracey scoring 60 in the first innings and Miles Hammond hitting 58 in the second.
However, they were unable to capitalise on their efforts.
Why It Matters
The win is an important one for Durham, who are looking to push for promotion from County Championship Division Two this season.
They have shown that they are capable of winning matches in all three formats, with Bedingham able to produce big scores, the bowlers taking wickets regularly and the experienced heads at the top of the order able to steady the ship.
For Gloucestershire, it is a frustrating loss, with their ninth defeat in their last ten matches.
With only four games remaining, every result is crucial, and Durham will be looking to keep winning to ensure their place at the top of the table.
It also serves as a warning to the other teams lower down the table that they will have to be at their best if they want to beat Durham.
Durham’s Promotion Push
The morning session of day four was a formality as Durham only needed four more runs to win after a thrilling finale on day three.
It only took six balls for Matthew Potts to hit the winning runs and complete a famous Durham victory.
Durham will now look to Northampton for the next match, while Gloucestershire head back to Bristol to face Derbyshire.
Durham have taken another big step towards promotion with this latest victory.
Their stars are firing, and their confidence is high as they enter the business end of the season.
Can Durham finish the job and win the County Championship Division Two this season?
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