Maher in lordly form

Jimmy Maher © Getty Images

Jimmy Maher's unbeaten 124 carried Durham to a thrilling two-wicket win against Yorkshire in the C&G Trophy North Conference match at
Chester-le-Street - but it was Steve Harmison who hit the winning runs off the last ball.

His Ashes opponent Jason Gillespie began the final over with the hosts needing nine to win - and it came down to three off the last ball, which Harmison inside-edged for four.

It was an agonising finish for Yorkshire captain Craig White, who completed a remarkable century off the last ball of his side's innings as they made 227 for four.

Despite opening, it took White until the 43rd over to reach 50 with only two boundaries, but he hit five successive balls for four - three of them off Harmison - in thrashing his second 50 off only 26 balls.

White and Tim Bresnan, who was unbeaten on 47 off 42 balls, took 58 off the last four overs and White made 34 off the last 11 balls he faced.

Queensland left-hander Maher offered a complete contrast as he scored 50 of Durham’s first 57 runs then carefully held the innings together.

Harmison, continuing his comeback from a shin injury and watched by England bowling coach Kevin Shine, finished with 2-47 after his first five overs yielded two for seven, which included three wides.

England captain Michael Vaughan withdrew from the match with soreness in his knee following the four-day match against Hampshire.

But he intends to play in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division One game against Middlesex at Southgate, which starts on Wednesday.

Yorkshire will also be giving treatment to Darren Lehmann, who tweaked his right hamstring while making 41 and did not field.

After giving White 18 overs’ start, Lehmann caught him on 29 with a scrambled single which appeared to cause the injury.

After striking five fours, it was all the Australian could do to hobble a series of singles before a reverse sweep flew straight to backward squareleg.

That brought in the in-form Tim Bresnan, who drove the only six of the innings over long-on off Gareth Breese, while the slow pitch allowed Durham skipper Dale Benkenstein to bowl his 10 overs straight through for 25.

It was a surprise that Anthony McGrath, who bowls at a similar pace, was left with three overs unbowled for Yorkshire after conceding only 17 off seven overs.

Australia-born paceman Mitch Claydon, meanwhile, had five no-balls in taking 2-57 in nine overs, and one of the free-hits was driven for a straight six by Breese.

Maher took three fours off Gillespie’s opening over, but by the time his fellow Australian rested he had figures of 7-2-25-3.

He returned with 35 needed off five overs and three wickets standing, and after conceding only six off his next two overs, during which Callum Thorp was run out, it was down to Gillespie to bowl the final over.

Three singles were followed by two runs to Maher, who collected another single off the fifth ball to leave Harmison on strike.

The final ball was an attempted leg-stump yorker but it was slightly wide and Harmison got just enough contact on his wild swing to evade diving wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy.