Hooper steers Lancashire to one-day win

LONDON: Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper top-scored with a half century to help steer Lancashire to a handsome 143-run victory over Durham in their fourth-round Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Trophy limited overs match yesterday. Hooper stroked 61 in Lancashire’s 229 for nine off 50 overs, and Durham plunged to 86 all out off 26.3 overs in reply at Chester-le-Street. Sent to bat, Lancashire benefited from solid middle-order knocks from Hooper, Australian Stuart Law (59) and Andrew Flintoff (31) to push past the 200-mark. Hooper batted 84 minutes and faced 72 balls for his 61, hitting two fours and three sixes, and shared in an innings-best 61-run fourth-wicket stand with Flintoff. South African pacer Dewald Pretorius led the Durham bowling with three for 32 off 10 overs.

Durham got 44 from opener Nicky Peng, but wickets fell regularly around him and Lancashire cruised to victory and booked a quarter-final spot in the tournament. Opening bowlers James Anderson (3-14) and Peter Martin (3-22) combined to reduce Durham to 26 for six and they were unable to fend off the huge defeat. In another match, Nixon McLean’s Somerset lost by six runs to Surrey at Taunton. St Vincentian and the Grenadines and West Indies pacer McLean bowled economically, taking one for 29 off 10 overs in Surrey’s score of 281 for six, and made six runs as Somerset’s run chase fell short at 275 for nine off 50 overs.