CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Hall guides Durham to close win

Durham Board XI (226-8) bt Oxfordshire (224-7) by 2 wkts

South African all-rounder Andrew Hall propelled the Durham Board XI to victory in a tight finish against Oxfordshire.

An innings of 78 off 60 balls, which included five sixes, left Durham the relatively simple task of making 59 off 15 overs after Hall holed out at deep mid-wicket. They lost three more wickets, however, before easing home with 10 balls to spare.

Hall, 23, made his one-day international debut against the West Indies in February shortly after having his left hand and cheek grazed by bullets in a cashpoint mugging in Johannesburg.

``I was out of cricket for two weeks but it didn't faze me at all,'' he said.

Hall narrowly beat Graham Savin to the man of the match award after the Oxfordshire player produced an excellent all-round performance. Batting at No 6 he lifted his side to a competitive total with 41 off 17 balls, and was unlucky to take only one wicket in a testing opening spell of left-arm medium pace.

He came back to take two more wickets, finishing with three for 33 in 10 overs.

But Durham's best bowler, Ben Usher, also proved unflappable with the bat as he and England under-19 player Graeme Bridge managed to pick off the final 23 runs.