By Matt Somerford
Chris Rushworth will head to Lord’s this weekend full of confidence and determined to prove that Durham deserve to mark their season with a trophy.
Rushworth grabbed all the headlines in midweek following a once-in-a-lifetime spell that saw him snare 15 Northamptonshire wickets on a barely-believable day at the Emirates Durham ICG.
The 28-year-old pouched record figures for Durham along the way and fast-tracked an innings-and-219-run success that had the added benefit of giving his team-mates an extra day’s rest before tomorrow’s Royal London One-Day Cupfinal against Warwickshire at Lord’s.
The win meant Durham have now won eight of their past nine completed matches in all formats to confirm it will not just be Rushworth heading to the capital in good spirits.
“It doesn’t matter what format you are playing in. If you are winning then that breeds confidence,” he told ecb.co.uk.
“Winning is a habit whatever format you are playing in. It’s a massive thing.”
Durham’s season has been a slow burner with their LV= County Championship title defence never really getting off the ground after a stalling start.
Rushworth had warned that his side are determined to prove that their late-season form is a better indication of their value and lift a fifth title in eight seasons.
“All the lads in the changing room would tell you that we are a better side than what we have showed in the championship so far,” he said.
“It’s nice to get a few wins at the back of the season and if we could finish with a Lord’s win then I’m sure everyone would be very delighted with the way the season has gone.”
His own demolition job at Chester-le-Street in midweek will have certainly helped, as Durham effectively won the game in five sessions after the opening day was washed out.
With Warwickshire having enjoyed the week off, any disadvantage Durham might have faced has been significantly reduced.
“We never really intended that to happen but when things started happen so quick we kind of knew it was inevitable,” Rushworth said.
“The guys were quite pleased to get that extra day off and hopefully we’ll be fully refreshed for the game on Saturday.”
For Rushworth it will be his first Lord’s final after he watched Durham’s previous visit in 2007, when they beat Hampshire, from the stands as a fan.
“I just went as a punter,” said Rushworth, who was let go by Durham in 2006 before winning back a contract.
“I went down with a few pals. I wasn’t part of the club; I was a spectator that day.
“To be a part of something similar will be a very proud moment.”
The friends he sat with that day are also set to make the trip down to Lord’s again themselves to cheer on the Sunderland-born right-armer.
“Absolutely; they’ll be there,” Rushworth said.
“I think most of them were going down anyway to be honest.”
Royal London One-Day Cup final facts
*Durham and Warwickshire have won five matches apiece of their last 10 List A meetings. Durham have won three of the last four, including this year’s group stage clash at Gosforth.
*All of the last five and nine of the last 11 List A matches between these teams have been won by the team that batted second.
*This is Warwickshire’s 18th domestic List A final. They have won eight and lost nine of their previous 17 Lord’s finals. Durham won their only previous domestic final, in 2007.
*Durham have won their last five completed Royal London One Day Cup matches. They last won six consecutive completed List A games in 2007, when they went on to win the Friends Provident Trophy.
*Durham have won their last two completed List A games at other venues, after losing the preceding five.
*Of players with at least 10 wickets in Royal London One Day Cup 2014, Paul Collingwood (3.99) and Rikki Clarke (4.07) have the lowest economy rates.
*Durham have hit 257 boundary fours in this year’s competition, 34 more than any other team. Warwickshire have hit 174 fours, the ninth most. Durham have hit 32 sixes, Warwickshire 18.