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So that’s what happens when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) get the kind of pitch their spinners like. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali (12-1-55-6 combined) went into Chepauk and burgled wickets away from the five-time IPL champions until Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were a pale, weak shadow of themselves. CSK crumbled to 103 for 9, their lowest IPL total at home, suffered a fifth successive defeat which has never happened before, and are marooned in ninth place on the points table. Welcome back to captaincy, MS Dhoni.

‘Home’ advantage for KKR

The major characteristic of a black-soil pitch is that it is slow and it grips. It felt like home, which is ironic because home hasn’t felt like home for them this season. KKR would prefer to play most of their matches in conditions like this but their attempts to procure them at Eden Gardens haven’t gone well. Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t even want to talk about it now. He did, however, oversee a phenomenal bowling performance.Related

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He brought Moeen into the XI and set him loose on CSK’s two left-hand openers. Devon Conway couldn’t overcome the handicap. The KKR offspinner pocketed a wicket maiden. In the next over, Rachin Ravindra was gone. CSK were bleeding by the end of the powerplay, their 31 for 2 only slightly better than the season low of 30 for 3 that they themselves had set, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The soft underbelly

Exposing this CSK team’s middle order is the only thing their oppositions need to do to win against them. Rahul Tripathi was brought in as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s replacement but he couldn’t figure out whether he wanted to hit out or play through, and that indecision was reflected in his final score – 16 off 22. Vijay Shankar could have been dismissed for a duck, or for 20, had KKR held on to their catches. Even with those two lives he couldn’t push on to make a big score. Shivam Dube walked out with CSK at 59 for 3. He had faced only 13 balls and that was still enough time for the score to slip to 75 for 8, at which point his team was in danger of recording their lowest total in IPL history.1:36

Bangar: ‘CSK are in tatters at the moment’

Dhoni in, Dhoni out

For the 16th time in his IPL career, Narine bowled his four overs without conceding a boundary. No one, having got through their full quota, has been more miserly. He also knocked off Tripathi, who didn’t know which way the ball would turn, and Ravindra Jadeja, who didn’t know which way the ball would turn, and Dhoni, who didn’t know which way the ball would turn. There was some doubt over the Dhoni lbw, though. UltraEdge showed what looked like faint murmurs as the ball passed the bat.CSK were being smothered. They had to wait 63 balls between boundaries – only two teams have ever been that emphatically silenced in this tournament – and hit just three after the eighth over (one of them off a top edge). They had to bring in Deepak Hooda as Impact Player, accepting the risk of going in a bowler short when they would have to defend this total. But even that gamble backfired. Hooda fell for a duck and one of their key players, Matheesha Pathirana, could not take part in the game.

The chase

Defending 103 is a thankless job because bowlers tend to go hard searching for wickets and in that process they leak runs. After underperforming in their batting powerplay, CSK underwhelmed with their bowling powerplay. KKR ransacked 71 runs in the first six overs. This game was a no-contest.

Azmatullah Omarzai has dethroned fellow Afghanistan team-mate Mohammad Nabi to be ranked the top allrounder in ODIs following a stellar Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.While Afghanistan could not make it to the semi-final of the tournament, Omarzai had an excellent time of it. He picked up seven wickets in three games, which included a match-winning 5 for 58 against England. He also scored 126 runs at an average of 42.00 and a strike rate of 104.13, often shepherding the Afghanistan lower-middle order through tricky times.Omarzai rose two spots on the rankings charts and is now four points clear of Nabi. He also rose on the ODI batting chart, up 12 spots to 24th on the list.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

There were some movements for India as well, with Virat Kohli moving up one spot to fourth position following his Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against Australia, where he scored 84 in a 265-run chase. He had earlier scored a match-winning unbeaten 100 against Pakistan in a group match.Shubman Gill continues to hold the top spot on the batting charts, followed by Babar Azam. Heinrich Klaasen is at No. 3, while Rohit Sharma has slipped two places and now sits in fifth. Steven Smith, who retired from ODI cricket earlier in the day, finished in 16th position.One of the biggest movers on the batting charts was Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran. He rose 13 positions to move to tenth position following his 177 against England.On the bowling front, New Zealand quick Matt Henry has jumped three places to move into third position behind Maheesh Theekshana and Keshav Maharaj. Mohammed Shami, who is making a comeback after an injury layoff, has risen three spots to 11th position. He currently heads the Champions Trophy wicket-taker’s list jointly with Henry, with both bowlers on eight wickets (ahead of the NZ vs SA semi-final).

Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have been selected in South Africa’s ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy after missing the entire home international season with injuries.Nortje was due to play in the white-ball matches against Pakistan but missed out with a broken toe, while Ngidi was ruled out ahead of the summer with a groin injury. Ngidi has since made his return at the SA20 for Paarl Royals while Nortje is due to play for Pretoria Capitals in the coming weeks and both are fully fit ahead of a busy 2025. The Champions Trophy will be their first international cricket in seven and four months respectively.Related

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The 15-member squad will be led by Temba Bavuma and includes ten players who were part of the group that qualified for the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Of the newcomers, Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton will be playing their first senior ICC event while Nortje returns in place of the most notable omission Gerald Coetzee, who has also struggled with injuries.Coetzee was put on a 12-week conditioning block after last year’s Major League Cricket (MLC) and returned at the start of the season before suffering a groin injury in the Durban Test against Sri Lanka. He has not returned to play but is part of the Joburg Super Kings squad at the SA20 and was in contention for a Champions Trophy spot, after finishing as South Africa’s leading bowler at the 2023 ODI World Cup.Anrich Nortje last played an ODI in September 2023•SA 20

White-ball coach Rob Walter explained the selection was a straight shootout between Nortje and Coetzee. “They both offer high pace but Anrich has a little bit more experience and potentially some attributes that will stand us in good stead in Pakistan,” Walter said from his home in New Zealand. “Gerald was a tough one because he’s ultimately done nothing wrong to not be selected.”Walter is also confident that Nortje, who has had a string of injuries over the last three years and opted out of a national contract in order to manage his workload, will remain fit for the upcoming months. “When he came back into the short format squads to play against Pakistan, he was bowling really quickly and was very excited to be back on the international stage,” Walter said. “Then, unfortunately, Dave Miller produced one of his best yorkers and hit him on the toe. Outside of that, he was super fit and super energised to be playing for South Africa again. And this was just one of those unfortunate circumstances. He’s an ultimate professional. He looks after himself, takes care of his conditioning. From my side, I trust him and trust that he’ll be ready to go.”South Africa will have five frontline quicks in Nortje, Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder at their disposal – with no room for Andile Phehlukwayo – and two specialist spinners, along with Aiden Markram’s offspin. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have kept their places but left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin misses out because South Africa “just didn’t feel the need for an extra spinner”.A more interesting selection conundrum could come in their top order, where South Africa will be without Quinton de Kock at an ICC event for the first time since 2014. De Kock retired from ODIs after the 2023 ODI World Cup and South Africa have not really settled on a partner for Bavuma in his absence but Walter gave some indication of what they are considering.”Temba and Tony have been at the top of the order and both done a really good job. There’s a potential for a few changes at the top of the order to give us a different balance of our side, which we may look into as we get closer to the tournament. A guy like Aidan Markram can be considered there in those two top spots. And obviously Rassie [van der Dussen] has been a stalwart at No.3. So we’re hesitant to change his position given the way he’s contributed there.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs are two other top-order options ahead of a powerful middle-order of David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, all of whom are in action at the SA20. Bavuma and de Zorzi are the only two players in South Africa’s squad who are not contracted for the franchise T20 competition and so will not have that game time ahead of the Champions Trophy. They will, however, be part of South Africa’s squad that will travel to Pakistan for a short tri-series which precedes the event. The rest of the squad will be determined by which players are not involved in the SA20 final, which takes place on February 8. South Africa’s first match of the tri-series is scheduled on February 10.South Africa are in group B of the Champions Trophy and begin their campaign against Afghanistan in Karachi on February 21. They then play Australia in Rawalpindi on February 25 and their final group game is against England on March 1. There have been concerns from the country’s sports minister over the Afghanistan fixture, given the restrictions on women’s rights in Afghanistan but Walter and his team have expressed no reservations with the fixture going ahead. “CSA sent out a release last Thursday that we’d take the lead from the ICC on this one, who will ultimately make that decision as to the participation of Afghanistan,” Walter said.The top two teams in group A and B will qualify for the semi-finals. The 2025 Champions Trophy begins on February 19 and will be played in Pakistan and the UAE. It is the first time the tournament is being played since 2017, and Pakistan are the current holders of the trophy.

South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad

Temba Bavuma (capt), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen

Three South Australia top-order batters made golden ducks as Western Australia took a stranglehold on their Sheffield Shield game amid a dramatic return to four-day cricket by Jhye Richardson.After WA, anchored by Jayden Goodwin’s 137, posted 373 all out, SA spectacularly collapsed on day two at Adelaide Oval.Related

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Opener Conor McInerney, No. 3 Daniel Drew and No. 4 Jake Lehmann were all dismissed on their first ball as SA crashed to 2 for 3But Henry Hunt and Harry Nielsen recovered as the home side reach 139 for 4Richardson, playing his first Shield game in a year, sparked the early drama with the wickets on consecutive deliveries of McInerney and Drew in his first over.Richardson, hooping the pink ball great distances before dusk fell, produced a big inswinger to trap left-hander McInerney leg before wicket. Next ball, he delivered a massive inswinger to right-hander Drew for another lbw.Richardson ran down the pitch and celebrated by high-fiving team-mates but then sank to his haunches while grabbing his right shoulder. The 28-year-old was making his comeback to Shield cricket after a string of shoulder, hamstring and side injuries.Richardson, who played the last of his three Tests in December 2021 before his wretched run with injury, walked from the field with help while delicately holding his right arm. But after being assessed by medical staff, he returned to action some 30 minutes later and continued bowling.He was able to add the wicket of Thomas Kelly, caught at second slip, although was careful with the celebrationsAfter Richardson had left the field, Lance Morris, another return to Shield cricket, removed Lehmann for SA’s third golden duck.Earlier, WA’s Goodwin scored his second first-class ton, striking 14 fours in his 272-ball knock. Goodwin, the son of Zimbabwean Test player Murray, and Ashton Turner, thwarted a South Australian bowling attack led by Brendan Doggett and Spencer Johnson.

Cricket Australia has unveiled the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia with the Gabba set to host the day-night second Test while Adelaide will host the third Test as a day game under a new agreement to have the pre-Christmas Test for the next seven years.CA confirmed that Perth will host the first Ashes Test next summer from November 21-25 before the second Test is played with a pink-ball under lights in Brisbane from December 4-8. The third Test will a day game in Adelaide from December 17-21 before the traditional Boxing Day Test begins on December 26 at the MCG. Sydney will host the fifth Test from January 4-8.A shake-up to the traditional Ashes rota had long been forecast after CA announced its fixturing contracts with the various state governments in August.Related

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Adelaide has been the main home of the day-night Test since the first one in 2015 and has hosted the two previous Ashes day-night Tests in 2017-18 and 2021-22 as the second Test in the rotation in those Ashes series following the traditional Gabba opener.But South Australia’s government, along with CA, were keen to give Adelaide a marquee holiday slot given the Test’s popularity from a tourism standpoint and it is now third in the rotation.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Gabba has hosted three day-night Tests previously including West Indies’ famous win earlier this year in January. But it will be the first time Brisbane has not hosted the Ashes opener since 1982-83 when Perth hosted the first Test and Brisbane had the second.The future of the Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics. There is a chance the Ashes Test next year could be the last Gabba Test ever as there is no Test scheduled there for 2026-27 – and beyond – and the stadium in its current state will not be usable by 2030.There has been criticism of CA for not maintaining the Gabba as the opening Test of the summer for at least the next two seasons, with former Australia allrounder Shane Watson among a host of voices who would prefer the Gabba to be the opening Test. But it understood the Australian team is quite happy to play the opening Test of the summer at Optus Stadium in Perth, as has been the case in the last two summers, given Australia’s perfect record there.There may be less enthusiasm about using the pink ball at the Gabba as Australia’s bowlers have previously been vocal about the pink ball being better suited to the Adelaide Oval pitch than the Gabba. There have been periods in the Gabba pink-ball Tests where the ball has become very soft and the game has stagnated as a result.

Jack Leach believes that being dropped by England during their home summer enabled him to fall back in love with cricket, aided by an unexpected phone call from Ben Stokes in the aftermath of a Test win.Leach is the leading wicket-taker in England’s series in Pakistan with 14, but had only played two Tests in the 18 months before the tour and failed to complete either due to back and knee injuries. He had returned to full fitness after knee surgery by the time England picked their first Test of the summer in June, but they selected his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir instead.Bashir earned widespread praise after his match-winning five-wicket haul against West Indies at Trent Bridge, and was preferred throughout the rest of the summer. But when England returned to their Nottingham hotel after that win, Stokes called Leach to tell him that Bashir’s success did not mean he had been forgotten.”I felt really happy and proud,” Leach recalled on Monday, speaking at England’s hotel in Islamabad. “He just wanted to tell me how great I was, basically, in the way that he does, and just recognise how I’ve dealt with the situation. That gave me a chance to say some nice things back to him about what he’d given me, probably going back to 2019 at Headingley.Related

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“There’s just a mutual respect there, so it was a nice conversation to have for sure. It just reminded me that I was going about things in the right way, and gave me confidence I still had something to offer the team and I was a part of it, in a small way. That gave me good motivation for the remainder of the summer… a nice reminder that there was still a chance to play.”Leach admitted that he briefly feared that his England career would be over when he initially learned of his omission. “You always do,” he said. “After a long time out with injury, I maybe felt that might be it… I really understood the situation. If you’re not able to stay fit, then other people come in and do well, and Bash certainly did that.”But he was happy with the level of communication from England’s management throughout, and received a similar call from Brendon McCullum the day after speaking to Stokes in July. “I was really happy with that – and in a way, not surprised, because of what I’d experienced when I was there [in the squad],” he said. “I’m very thankful for that, and my relationship with those guys.”After a slow start to the season which saw him take nine wickets at 50.44 in his first four appearances for Somerset, Leach thrived at the end of the year with 36 at 15.86 in five matches. He said that the secret was as simple as “remembering what I’m about, and being happy with that” rather than worrying too much about making minor technical changes.”I just felt like I needed to rediscover that kid-like mentality of why you play the game,” Leach said. “You have that on the journey up to playing for England, that nothing-to-lose mentality. Then it’s like, ‘I’m here now, I want to keep that’. That’s tiring, it’s stressful, it’s not enjoyable… You forget what your main strengths are.”This summer actually provided a really good opportunity to go back to play for Somerset – which is what I always wanted to do as a young boy – and to just simplify everything; just do what I was good at, and build the confidence that actually, that was good enough… I’ve discovered that again: just being myself, and actually really enjoying that.”Leach has outbowled Bashir in England’s first two Tests in Pakistan, but said that reclaiming his status as first-choice spinner is “not important” to him. “That’s not really in my thoughts,” he said. “I just want to keep building on what I’ve done in the summer and what I’m doing out here… For me, it’s all about the team. Maybe I’m at an age where that’s all that really matters to me.”The pair have worked closely together in Pakistan. “He’s just done so well,” Leach said of Bashir. “He’ll just be learning so much, so quickly. He’s quality. We have a good relationship, good fun, and try to work together. I try to help where I can. I don’t want to overload him with stuff: I feel like he’s just learning through playing, and it’s all going to come quite naturally.”The series decider starts on Thursday in Rawalpindi, with another turning pitch in prospect after Pakistan’s 152-run win last week. Two years ago, it was the scene of a famous England win: they racked up 657 in 101 overs in their first innings, and Leach applied the finishing touches when trapping Naseem Shah lbw on the final evening to seal the victory.”That’s probably my favourite wicket: just the pictures of the appeal, and then just after of everyone celebrating,” Leach said. “It was just such a good game to be part of.” England will hope for something similar this week, in their bid for a 2-1 series win.

Dwayne Bravo has played his last match in the CPL.Bravo, who will turn 41 next month, had originally planned to retire after the end of CPL 2024, but a groin injury sustained while fielding against St Lucia Kings in Tarouba on Tuesday has now ended his CPL career before the playoffs.Bravo hurt himself when he attempted to take the catch of Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis in the seventh over. He immediately left the field after pulling up and didn’t bowl a single over in what turned out to be his final CPL game. Bravo then returned to bat at No.11 in TKR’s failed chase of 219. He managed to face just one ball, which thudded into his thigh, and then retired hurt, struggling to fight off tears.”When he pulled up [injured], it looked pretty serious,” TKR captain Kieron Pollard said after the game. “Obviously him coming to bat [at No.11] is not just to win the game, but to know the extent of the injury. We’re not sure if this is going to be the end for him but overall from the team perspective we just want to tell him thank you very much for all that he has done for cricket, for Trinidad & Tobago for the wider world. He’s been a charismatic person and has been inspiring throughout and just want to tell him thank you. He’s not in a good space right now but obviously he’s given everything that he has to cricket and cricket has rewarded him as well.”Related

• Russell and TKR pay tribute to CPL legend Bravo

TKR were also without Sunil Narine for the match against Kings, with the mystery spinner working his way back from a quad strain. It’s understood that Narine’s injury isn’t as serious as Bravo’s, and will return to action soon. As for Andre Russell, who had a hamstring complaint at the start of the tournament, his workload is being managed.Russell pitched in with two overs on Tuesday and with both Bravo and Narine unavailable, Pollard brought himself into the attack and bowled his full complement of overs for the first time in the CPL since 2022.”I had to take the mantle with DJ [Bravo] going down and Russell isn’t 100% fit,” Pollard said. “Narine is not playing because he’s not fit through injury. Obviously, I had to manage it and it’s good that you’re in a position where you have qualified [for the playoffs]. Yes, you wanna finish in the top two and you end up in the situation where you look around who can do the job for you going into the back end of the tournament. I haven’t been bowling much, but it was a good sort of shift for me today. But having said that from the bowling perspective looking at the last couple of games, we have some work to do.”Faf du Plessis worked closely with Dwayne Bravo at CSK in the IPL•BCCI

‘What a player, what a career, what a man!’ – Du Plessis pays tribute to Bravo

After Bravo retired hurt and hobbled off the field, du Plessis embraced him with a hug and later paid tribute to the CPL stalwart. Bravo is the most decorated player in the CPL, having won five titles in all, including three with TKR. He led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to their first title in 2021.Du Plessis had captained Bravo at Texas Super Kings in the USA’s Major League Cricket (MLC) and had also played alongside Bravo at Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.”Sad to see DJ Bravo finishing in that way,” du Plessis said. “In my mind, he’s obviously someone that I’ve admired for a long time. Looks like it’s gonna be the end of his CPL. Just want to mention to him that what a player, what a career, what a man! The home people would be super proud with his cricket. He’s done so much for everyone around the Caribbean. I would have liked to give him a nice send-off walking off the field, clapping him off. But as I said I was just trying to stay alive [in the Tarouba heat] at the back end. But I feel he [Bravo] needs a special mention.”

Ranjan Madugalle has become the first match referee to officiate 400 ODIs, with his taking charge of the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Khettarama.Madugalle has been a match referee since 1993 and in that time has also officiated more than 200 Tests, also a record. He had, in addition, served as the ICC’s chief match referee until that position was removed.Simon Taufel, former elite-panel umpire and the former umpires performance and training manager for the ICC, paid tribute to Madugalle.”Ranjan’s longevity is remarkable,” Taufel said. “He was there at the beginning of my international umpiring career and the end. He has served Sri Lanka, the ICC and game of cricket with distinction and integrity. This milestone highlights his commitment and dedication to the sport he loves.”Madugalle, in a statement put out by the ICC, said getting to this landmark was “dreamlike”. “It has been a great honour and privilege to have officiated in international cricket for so many years and it’s almost dreamlike to be reaching this milestone.”I was pleased when I got the opportunity to be associated with the game after my time as a cricketer but never thought that it would stretch to over three decades!”During this period, I have had the chance to officiate all over the world and in several World Cups, relishing every moment.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, Sri Lanka Cricket and my colleagues with whom I have worked over the years for their support and friendship, as well as my family and friends, without whose support it would not have been possible to have come this far.”Before turning his attentions towards officiating games, Madugalle had played 21 Tests and 63 ODIs for Sri Lanka as a batter.

The Blaze have beaten the South East Stars by 133 runs (DLS method) in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.The visitors scored a mammoth 318 for 8, their highest List A score, even though the innings was reduced to 44 overs due to rain. Sarah Bryce top-scored with 81, Ella Claridge made a career-best 71 from 45 balls and Marie Kelly weighed in with 52.Heather Graham then claimed 6 for 39 as the Stars were bowled out for 185, despite a defiant 44 from Alice Davidson-Richards.Just eight days after Blaze eased to victory over Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup final they repeated the trick with an equally comfortable win at the New County Ground.Leaden skies may have persuaded Stars to bowl first, but after the early removal of Teresa Graves, who was run out by Phoebe Franklin for 9, the Bryce sisters put on a 94-run stand that was only curtailed when Tilly Corteen-Coleman bowled Kathryn for 30.A hefty rain delay saw the game reduced to 44 overs per side and Sarah Bryce fell soon after the resumption, pulling a short ball from Alexa Stonehouse to Franklin at mid-on.Graham made 28 before she was bowled by Kalea Moore and Kelly was the victim of a brilliant bit of fielding by Franklin, who in one motion, dived, scooped her up on the boundary and threw the ball in to allow Chloe Hill to complete the run out.Michaela Kirk played a supporting role to Claridge but hit out in the penultimate over and was caught off Franklin by Tash Farrant on the cow corner boundary for 18.Farrant took two wickets in the final over: Claridge was caught by Emma Jones in the deep and Josie Groves bottom-edged her to Cranstone, but the momentum was maintained by a two-ball cameo from Cassidy McCarthy, who finished on 8 not out.The target of 319 wasn’t adjusted despite the loss of six overs, but Stars made a rocky start, losing skipper Bryony Smith for 11, caught by Kirstie Gordon off Kathryn Bryce after a run of dot balls.Moore also went for 11, skying Graham almost vertically into Sarah Bryce’s gloves. Graham then had Farrant caught behind for 35 and Jones stumped for a second ball duck.Aylish Cranstone and Franklin put on 39 for the next wicket until the latter sliced Groves to McCarthy for 13. Groves then had Cranstone lbw for 33, attempting to sweep, Gordon had Hill stumped for 17 and Alexa Stonehouse was bowled by Graham for a third-ball duck.Davidson-Richards went down swinging, trying to hit Graham out of the ground but slicing her to Kathryn Bryce at backward point and the result was sealed when Graham had caught Danni Gregory by McCarthy at midwicket for 1.

Durham 178 for 3 (Lees 71*) beat Leicestershire 176 for 7 (Cox 50*, Sowter 3-23) by seven wicketsSkipper Alex Lees led from the front with an unbeaten 71 from 53 balls as Durham bounced back from two heavy defeats to register their first win of the Vitality Blast campaign, beating Leicestershire Foxes by seven wickets in a tight finish at the Uptonsteel County Ground.Wicketkeeper Ben Cox hit 50 off 31 balls as Foxes recovered from 106 for 6 to post 176 for 7 from their 20 overs. Legspinner Nathan Sowter took 3 for 23 and left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson 2 for 23 against his former county after Rishi Patel had launched the Foxes innings with 35 off 17 balls and Sol Budinger made 26 from 21.But thanks to Lees, who hit three sixes but only two fours, with support from David Bedingham (43 from 32) and Ashton Turner (22 from 16), Durham passed their target with three balls to spare, Leicestershire not helping their cause by conceding 20 runs in extras, giving away nine extra balls in the process.Patel, who hit a scintillating century in this fixture last year, looked as if he might deliver something similar after Durham opted to field first but after six fours and a six he hit straight into the hands of deep midwicket as Parkinson, who took 107 T20 wickets as a Leicestershire player, celebrated his first wicket against them.Nonetheless, he gave Foxes a flying start, yet one they looked in danger of wasting as they slipped to 106 for 6 at 14 overs, having been 51 for 1 in the sixth.Peter Handscomb was caught at extra cover off the penultimate ball of the powerplay and they were 78 for 4 from 10 overs after Louis Kimber picked out deep square leg before Budinger holed out to long-on, where ex-Durham stalwart Phil Mustard’s 17-year-old son Haydon took a good catch on his Blast debut. Sowter produced two beauties in the space of three deliveries to bowl Wiaan Mulder and new man Ben Mike without scoring.Yet Foxes dug themselves out of their hole superbly, hitting 70 from the last six overs for the loss of only Rehan Ahmed to a catch at long-on. Cox’s enterprise brought him six fours, one a ramp off Ben Raine, who he lifted over the leg-side rope for six before completing his first T20 half-century for three years with a scrambled single off the last ball of the innings.Mulder bowled Graham Clark for 14 but Durham were up with the required rate in coming out of the powerplay on 53 for 1, moving to 86 for 1 at the halfway point, which made them favourites.After both Lees, on 36, and Bedingham, on 32, had survived difficult chances, a breakthrough came when Bedingham, in his first Blast appearance since 2022 in place of the injured ex-Foxes captain Colin Ackermann, was well caught at wide long-on to end an 83-run partnership, at which point the requirement was 60 off 38 balls.That came down to 49 off 30, from which Lees instantly cut six with a perfectly executed scoop off Josh Hull, after which Lees hit a further maximum. Scott Currie bowled Turner in the penultimate over but only six were needed off the last, with Ollie Robinson chopping Mulder to the offside boundary to win the contest.