One-Day Cup: Durham reach final with five-wicket win over Surrey

Durham's Alex Lees has passed 50 in six of his eight innings in this season's One-Day Cup and has scored 547 runs

Durham's powerful batting line-up secured a five-wicket win over Surrey to earn them a place in Thursday's One-Day Cup final against Glamorgan.

Former Durham opener Mark Stoneman made 117 as Surrey recovered from 40-3 to reach 280-8 off their 50 overs.

Graham Clark passed 600 runs in the competition with 46 as he and Alex Lees began the run-chase with a stand of 64.

Lees made 75, Scott Borthwick 71 and David Bedingham 56 as Durham eased home with 15 balls to spare on 281-5.

Bedingham is the leading run-scorer in this season's County Championship with 945, but was largely overshadowed in Durham's march to the One-Day Cup semi-finals because of the prolific form of Clark and Lees.

But the South African reached 50 from only 29 balls at the Riverside and hit two sixes and five fours before pulling Rikki Clarke to square leg with just eight runs needed for victory.

• Glamorgan defeat Essex to reach final

Durham have now won seven of their eight completed matches in this year's competition and will head to Trent Bridge hoping to lift the trophy for for the third time in a knockout competition - the most recent in 2014 when Surrey's Stoneman was their skipper.

Rushworth spell rocks Surrey

Mark Stoneman joined Surrey from Durham for the 2017 season

Durham went into the game without their leading wicket-taker Paul van Meekeren, who is heading for the Caribbean Premier League.

As so often, though, it was seamer Chris Rushworth who provided them with early wickets as his opening seven-over spell of 3-23, his victims including England's Ollie Pope for a duck, dented Surrey's hopes of a 300 plus total - he eventually finished with 3-49.

Stoneman's only One-Day Cup score of note came in Surrey's opening group game when he made 73 not out against Yorkshire, but the left-hander found a reliable ally in captain Jamie Smith as they put on 155.

Smith fell for 85 when he was lbw to Borthwick as he tried to flick to leg, but Stoneman brought up his seventh List A hundred from 117 balls and was still there at the start of the final over when he was run out by Clark's throw attempting a second run.

Openers again provide Durham impetus

Surrey were delighted to see the back of Graham Clark in only the 14th over of Durham's innings

Clark made three group-stage scores of 140 or more and had 30 against his name as Durham began their reply before Lees had scored his first run.

He fell short of 50 by pulling Matt Dunn to backward square leg, only for Lees and skipper Borthwick, the latter playing against his former club, to add 119 in 22 overs and put the home side firmly on course to reach their target.

Both looked in fine form, but were unable to emulate Stoneman's century as Lees was lbw sweeping and Borthwick - who had a let-off on 51 when Dunn failed to hang onto a sliding chance at fine leg - picked out a fielder on the square leg boundary.

Bedingham's aggressive innings made Durham's victory a formality and it was left to Cameron Bancroft (24 not out) to hit the winning run.

Durham skipper Scott Borthwick:

"It was an incredible win. The last 30 to 40 minutes after I was out were a bit nerve-wracking, especially considering I'd much rather have been out there.

"I had a sneaky feeling that Mark Stoneman was going to score runs. Thankfully it didn't hurt us in the end. Myself and Alex Lees knew if we batted for a long period of time we should get over the line.

"It's a good sign that the two group winners will play in the final. A Thursday final at Trent Bridge will be a bit different. It's almost like an FA Cup final not being played at Wembley.

"Lord's finals are special, but Trent Bridge is an amazing ground and it's going to be an exciting occasion."

Surrey captain Jamie Smith told BBC Radio London:

"Durham were the better side on balance today, but I'm very proud of everyone.

"I thought Rocky (Stoneman) was outstanding, the pressure he must have been under coming back to Durham for the first time.

"We put on a decent partnership - if one of us had finished it off slightly better at the end, 300 might have been on.

"There are a lot of good things to take forward, and a lot of things to work on, but that's for next year - there are four Champo games still to come and hopefully we can finish on a high."