By Will Jackson
Ben Stokes’ stunning innings of 164 led Durham to a comprehensive 83-run win in the second Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final against Notts Outlaws at the Emirates Durham ICG.
The result puts Durham into the final of the competition, where they will face Warwickshire at Lord's on September 20.
Durham piled on 353 for eight after being put in, largely thanks to an incredible display of hitting from Stokes, whose 113-ball stay included 18 fours and six sixes.
Returning to the side after impressing for England yesterday, Stokes shared 135 with Phil Mustard, who anchored proceedings with 89 before the innings exploded after the batting powerplay.
Notts threatened to make it a close game as they kept up with the Durham rate for a while, but wickets fell at regular intervals as the target proved to be too big.
James Taylor made a battling century in defeat, but the victory was always likely to be Durham’s after the astonishing display of batting.
Taylor had won the toss on what was a damp morning at the Emirates Durham ICG but his bowlers failed to back up his decision as some wayward bowling was rightfully punished by the Durham openers.
Mark Stoneman got the home team off to a flier and had moved on to 36 before he was cleaned up by Luke Fletcher – who had been one of the bowlers guilty of straying in line and length.
After reaching 61 for one at the end of the first powerplay, Durham stuttered a little as Calum MacLeod and Keaton Jennings fell cheaply and forced Mustard to drop anchor.
Stokes was immediately in the groove and showed off his full array of shots to put Durham back on top.
As Mustard stuttered in the middle of the innings, Stokes motored on until the powerplay was taken, when the opener finally cut loose.
Mustard was eventually dismissed after the pair hit 57 in the batting powerplay, run out following excellent work from Ajmal Shahzad.
Cameos from Paul Collingwood and John Hastings pushed the score up to 353 for eight, a total which was made to look even bigger as the Outlaws lost early wickets in reply.
Michael Lumb and Steven Mullaney fell cheaply in the first 10 overs and forced Taylor to rebuild, first with Sam Wood and then Samit Patel.
After Patel perished for 52, the innings fell away with 12 an over needed from the final 20 overs with Riki Wessels, James Franklin and Chris Read all falling in the search of quick runs.
There was time for Taylor to bring up an excellent century – his third of the competition – and some big shots late on pushed him on to 114 before he was eventually last out, fittingly to Stokes.
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Post-Match Presentation
Ben Stokes is man of the match for his 164 from 113 balls. Asked if that’s his best one-day innings, he replied: “Without a doubt.”
The England all-rounder, who flayed 18 fours and six maximums, said: “Fours and sixes and don’t get out were the way forward. A few came out the middle.”
Looking ahead to his maiden Lord’s final, which will be versus Warwickshire on September 20, he added: “It’s the first one for me. To be heading for the final is very special.”
Durham captain Mark Stoneman reflected: “That couldn’t have gone too much better to be honest. Hopefully we’ve got one more big performance in us in a few weeks’ time.”
He added: “We’ll let today sink in. It was a special performance from Stokesy.”
Notts Outlaws skipper James Taylor, whose 114 proved in vain, said: “We’re massively disappointed as we’ve been outstanding all season. Today wasn’t meant to be. They got off to a flyer and they got too many runs.”
On attempting to overhaul Durham’s imposing 353 for eight, Taylor added: “We couldn’t blow ourselves out of the water too early. At one point I thought we were in it but we lost too many late wickets.”
Notts Outlaws Innings
5.46pm - That means the final is as follows: Warwickshire v Durham, Lord's, 10.30am on September 20.
5.45pm - DURHAM WIN BY 83 RUNS AND REACH THE ROYAL LONDON ONE-DAY CUP FINAL! WICKET! Taylor c Jennings b Stokes 114; Ball 11 - Taylor is finally out and it was a great effort, but all in vain as Durham claim the win.
5.34pm - WICKET! Fletcher c MacLeod b Rushworth 19; Notts 257/9 - Fletcher spoons one up in the air and that should be it. 97 needed from 36; some fun still to be had for Taylor though.
5.33pm - Nice little partnership between Fletcher and Taylor here. 38 so far, they couldn't, could they? No, is the answer.
5.25pm - CENTURY! Taylor (100b, 10x4, 1x6) - Another excellent innings from the Notts skipper, but it looks like it will be in vain as he's left to bat with Luke Fletcher in the final eight overs.
Dropped! A top-edge from Fletcher slips through Rushworth's hands. 236-8 in the 42nd over...
— Durham Cricket Club (@DurhamCricket) September 6, 2014
5.15pm - WICKET! Shahzad run out (Jennings) 1; Notts 218/8 - Superb throw with one stump to aim at and Shahzad is well out of his ground.
5.11pm - WICKET! Read run out (Hastings) 12; Notts 216/7 - A flurry of boundaries keeps the Outlaws' dreams alive but they're extinguished almost immediately as Chris Read attempts a suicidal run and is nowhere to be seen as John Hastings whips the bails off.
5.02pm - It's been a typical James Taylor innings so far. He hasn't looked fluent but he accumulates runs with such ease every time he walks to the crease. Even he might struggled here though. 162 runs needed from 76.
5.01pm - WICKET! Franklin c Stoneman b Rushworth 4; Notts 191/6 - Good catch from Mark Stoneman on the edge of the circle as Franklin nails one straight at him. Is that game over?
4.53pm - The batting powerplay has been taken at 186 for five. The next five overs will decide the game you would imagine.
Wicket: Wessels lifts Breese to Gordon Muchall for nine. Outlaws 185-5 #DurvNotts
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) September 6, 2014
4.36pm - WICKET! Patel goes past 50 and then is out! c Mustard b Breese 52; Notts 169/4 - Samit is caught on the boundary, but Calum MacLeod signalls that he touched the rope which brings up 50 for Samit, but the very next ball he attempts to cut and edges to the keeper. Big wicket.
4.33pm - 30 overs gone here and Notts are quietly moving into a good position. It's very smilar to the Durham innings at this stage and with Rikki Wessels and James Franklin still to come, the Outlaws will be getting increasingly confident.
4.20pm - WICKET! Wood lbw Breese 22; Notts 72/3 - Gareth Breese traps Wood in front, bringing Samit Patel to the middle.
Notts are actually four runs ahead of where Durham were after 30.2 overs. Game on.
4.13pm - FIFTY! Taylor (59b, 6x4) The Outlaws skipper keeps the score ticking along with threatening to either take the game away from Durham or get out.
Taylor flicks Collingwood for four, taking Notts to 115-3 after 24, only 15 runs behind where Durham were at this stage. #DurvNotts
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) September 6, 2014
3.59pm - The rain has eased up but the pressure from the Durham bowlers hasn't. Paul Collingwood and Breese doing a good job and getting through the overs quickly.
Chance! Collingwood bowls Samit Patel but clipped the stumps with his bowling hand! No-ball signalled!
3.40pm - Umbrellas going up around the ground...
Taylor and Wood bring up their fifty stand before the latter falls lbw attempting to sweep Breese's fourth ball, leaving @TrentBridge 72/3.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 6, 2014
3.18pm - Notts steadily rebuilding after the two early losses, but at least James Taylor looks in good touch. 53 for two at the end of the first 10 overs.
3.07pm - It's getting quite dark now in Durham, I can't see any rain drops yet but it's looking like it might not be long.
2.57pm - WICKET! Mullaney b Rushworth 8; Notts 21/2 - Superb from Chris Rushworth who bowls Steven Mullaney with a beauty. Notts right up against it now.
2.52pm - WICKET! Lumb c Mustard b Hastings 5; Notts 17/1 - Early blow as the dangerous Michael Lumb feathers a drive through to Phil Mustard who takes a simple catch.
2.38pm - The umpires are on their way out to the middle as the Outlaws start the unenviable task of chasing down 354. If they get anywhere near, this could be fun.
Durham Innings
1.55pm - Durham finish on 353 for eight - A record-breaking innings which will take a massive effort from Notts Outlaws if they are to chase it down. If anyone can do it though, it would be Notts.
WICKET. Breese backs away and is bowled first ball by a yorker from Fletcher. 350-8, two balls left.
— Durham Cricket Club (@DurhamCricket) September 6, 2014
Here are the stats - 164 runs from 113 balls, with 18x4s and 6x6s. An innings to remember from @benstokes38pic.twitter.com/hahao22DsE
— Durham Cricket Club (@DurhamCricket) September 6, 2014
1.48pm - WICKET! Stokes c Lumb b Shahzad 164; Durham 345/7 - He was dropped on 12, and he certainly made the Outlaws pay for it. An incredible innings, showing brute force as well as superb placement and timing and he's left his side in a great position with an over to go.
1.44pm - WICKET! Hastings c Franklin b Shahzad 13; Durham 337/6 - John Hastings pummeled a couple of boundaries but eventually holes out to long-on.
The previous best individual score for Durham in List A cricket was Stokes' 150 against Warwickshire in 2011. pic.twitter.com/PhzhulYch3
— Durham Cricket Club (@DurhamCricket) September 6, 2014
1.40pm - 150! Stokes (105, 15x4, 6x6) This is stunning hitting. Every ball seems to be disappearing to the boundary. Hard to imagine that he's the same age as me...
1.31pm - 300 up! Just under five overs to go and Stokes brings up the 300 with a single that moves him on to 131 from just 98 deliveries.
1.25pm - WICKET! Collingwood c Taylor b Fletcher 24; Durham 296/5 - Collingwood perishes trying to upper-cut a short ball from Fletcher and it loops up to point. A nice cameo from the four-day skipper.
1.22pm - Some incredible hitting by Stokes and Collingwood here. Looking at 330 plus here I reckon.
Stokes has hit two sixes and a four since reaching the landmark. @TrentBridge are in danger of being batted out of this #RLODC semi-final.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 6, 2014
1.09pm - CENTURY! Stokes (84b, 13x4, 1x6) What an innings this has been from the all-rounder. He has genuinely been a class apart today and if he stays around for the remaining overs, Durham will have a very big score on the board.
1.06pm - Paul Collingwood clips a trademark four off his legs as the powerplay comes to an end. It was a very productive one for Durham, with 57 runs coming from it.
Come on the Outlaws! Stokesy playing beautifully need him out. (Dogs not that bothered...) @TrentBridgepic.twitter.com/xcbJz0YRuJ
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) September 6, 2014
1.00pm - WICKET! Mustard run out (Shahzad) 89; Durham 227/4 - Mustard hares down the wicket after Stokes digs out a yorker. The ball has just dribbled to Shahzad though and he throws down the non-striker's stumps as Mustard is sent back by his partner. Shame to see the innings end like that.
Mustard appears determined to beat Stokes to 100, hitting two more fours in the next over. @TrentBridge desperately need a breakthrough.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 6, 2014
12.57pm - Boundaries galore at the moment for Durham, who are taking full advantage of the fielding restrictions. They've scored 44 runs so far in the powerplay.
12.43pm - Mustard greets the powerplay with a pull for four followed by what can only be described as a huge hoik for six. A third boundary in a row, this time a more classical straight drive which brings up the 100 partnership between the pair, has got the Durham keeper right back into the groove.
He had previously not hit a boundary since the 18th over...
.@DurhamCricket take the batting powerplay in a good position on 179-3 after 35. They will be aiming for 300 from here.
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 6, 2014
12.38pm - Phil Mustard is getting bogged down here and can't get away. The batting powerplay might help him though - that has been taken after 35 overs with the score on 179 for three.
12.22pm - FIFTY! Stokes (47b, 7x4, 1x6) Excellent knock from the England all-rounder so far and he goes past fifty with an excellent drive through the covers off the spin bowling of Sam Wood. He was dropped on 12 remember, and it looks a costly one already.
12.15pm - FIFTY! Mustard (73b, 4x4) Mustard has been a bit becalmed of late, and a pushed two brings him a fifty. He's been more than happy to sit back and let Stokes and Stoneman play the aggressive shots.
12.08pm - Durham have reached 134 for three at the halfway stage. Stokes has moved into the 30s and looks to have continued from where he left off yesterday, while Phil Mustard is approaching a half-century..
11.55am - CHANCE! Has Stokes just had a let off? Chris Read is stood up to the stumps and Stokes gets a thin edge through to the keeper who can't cling on.
11.46am - Stokes is in at five and underway straight away. A nice push down the ground brings him four and the dose is repeated next over with a brutal cut shot through point to bring up the 100.
. @RL_Cricket& Chester the Lion enjoying todays game #RLODCpic.twitter.com/SPli51ecGP
— Durham Cricket Club (@DurhamCricket) September 6, 2014
11.39am - WICKET! Jennings c Mullaney b Franklin 8; Durham 92/3 - Poor from Jennings, who tries to pull a ball that's just not there and he skies it up to Steven Mullaney on the square-leg boundary.
11.36am - Keaton Jennings is the new man at the crease. Ben Stokes was down to bat at four, but Jennings usually opens in championship cricket so maybe they're trying to play out a bit of time while the assistance in the pitch quietens down.
Wicket: MacLeod waves his bat at Shahzad and a handy catch from Riki Wessels at slip does the rest. 75-2 #DurvNotts
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) September 6, 2014
11.20am - Things have quietened down following the fall of the Stoneman wicket. The end of the first powerplay could be a big reason for that but the Outlaws have definitely upped their game in the last couple of overs.
11.10am - WICKET! Stoneman b Fletcher 36; Durham 61/1 - Big wicket for Notts, and they really needed it. Fletcher comes around the wicket and gets a ball to straighten past the outside edge of Stoneman's bat. A good innings from the skipper, but should he have gone on and made a bigger score?
11.02am - Are Notts a bit nervous? The fielding and bowling so far suggests so. Stoneman is on 35 already as Durham march on to 56 without loss at the start of the ninth over.
10.53am - Ajmal Shahzad replaces Fletcher from the Lumley Road end in the first bowling change of the day. The Outlaws haven't settled down yet and Durham have capitalised on the sloppy bowling.
Ouch! Shahzad slips in his delivery stride and goes over horribly on his left ankle. That could have been a very nasty injury, you wince just looking at it. He follows it up with a poor ball down the leg-side which is put away past fine-leg by Stoneman.
Durham 30-0 after five overs, both sides adjusting to the conditions. #DurvNotts
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) September 6, 2014
10.46am - Fletcher is struggling a bit with his line and length at the moment and Stoneman makes him pay with a brace of boundaries through the offside. Good start for Durham with the ball doing a bit.
300 - A comparison of key batsmen Stoneman and Lumb, openers with 300+ #RLODC 2014 runs. Anchors. pic.twitter.com/QYhvWI3fHm
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 6, 2014
10.38am - Stoneman is already looking in good order and has the first boundary of the day with a firm push through the covers.
Pre-Play News
10.30am - Play is about to start as the players make their way out to the middle. Luke Fletcher, who spoke to us earlier in the week about the prospect of a Lord's final, will bowl the first over as Mark Stoneman takes his guard.
5.7 - Of bowlers with 10+ wickets in #RLODC 2014, @Colly622 has the lowest boundary percentage (5.7%). Canny. @DurhamCricket
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 6, 2014
10.11am - Good news for Durham fans walking through the doors is that Ben Stokes has been made available for the home team and takes his place at number four in the batting line-up after an excellent all-round performance yesterday.
Durham: Mark Stoneman (capt), Phil Mustard, Calum MacLeod, Ben Stokes, Paul Collingwood, Scott Borthwick, Keaton Jennings, Gordon Muchall, Gareth Breese, John Hastings, Chris Rushworth.
Notts Outlaws: Michael Lumb, Steven Mullaney, James Taylor (capt), Samit Patel, Rikki Wessels, James Franklin, Chris Read, Sam Wood, Ajmal Shahzad, Luke Fletcher, Jake Ball.
10.05am - Notts Outlaws have won the toss and will bowl first. James Taylor has called correctly at the coin flip and the visitors have a big advantage of bowling first on a damp and overcast morning up in Durham.
10.00am - Hello and welcome to today's second semi-final in the Royal London Cup between Durham and Notts Outlaws.
In the first semi-final on Thursday, we saw Warwickshire reach their second domestic limited-overs final with a six wicket win over Kent Spitifres.
3.8 - @Colly622 (3.8) has the second best economy rate in #RLODC 2014, best of anyone bowling 10+ overs. Nous. @DurhamCricket
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 6, 2014