BEN RAINE was quick to praise team-mate David Bedingham after the Durham batsman’s purple patch continued in his side’s Vitality Blast win over Birmingham Bears.

Having claimed their first T20 win of the season against Leicestershire Foxes on Friday night, Durham made it two wins in two days as they claimed a 26-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Bedingham has been in superb four-day form in the County Championship this summer, and he was at it again against the Bears as he cracked 63 runs from just 27 balls.

The batsman peppered the boundary, hitting nine fours and three sixes, with his innings providing the highlight of Durham’s 194-9 from their 20 overs.

The Bears were never really where they needed to be in their run chase, and they were eventually bowled out for 168 in the 19th over, with Raine starring with the ball as he took 5-21.

“David Bedingham's innings was ridiculous,” said Raine. “No one else was really timing the ball until he came out but he hit the ball beautifully. We felt we were quite over-par with our score, we thought 160 to 170 would be a really competitive score, so to get above that was a hell of an effort with the bat.

“Then it feels amazing to get my first T20 five-for. I was really disappointed with the way I bowled at Leicester, so when something like that happens you have just got to try to pick yourself up. You have got to keep a positive frame of mind and hope for the best and this was my day. You need a bit of luck to take wickets, but I was really happy with how I bowled.”

After choosing to bat, Durham lost a wicket second ball when Graham Clark chipped George Garton to midwicket.

South African Bedingham smashed Garton for 18 in four balls and thundered to 50 in 21, reaching his half-century with six over mid-wicket in an Aamer Jamal over that went for 25.

Alex Lees contributed just eight to a stand of 60 before missing a slog-sweep at Dan Mousley and falling lbw.

Bedingham welcomed Jake Lintott into the attack with a six into the pavilion, but the wrist spinner’s revenge arrived three balls later when Rob Yates took a stinging catch at extra cover.

Lintott also ended Ollie Robinson’s punchy cameo at 25, Mousley bowled Raine and Ashton Turner improvised effectively for 33 before top-edging a swipe at Garton.

Callum Parkinson trapped Yates lbw with the first legitimate ball of the Bears’ reply but Alex Davies (47) and Mousley (35) gave their side a sound foundation with a stand of 80.

They fell in the space of three balls, however, to Turner and Raine respectively.

Sam Hain lifted Nathan Sowter to long off before Raine bowled Chris Benjamin and Jamal in successive balls.

Bethell sliced to deep backward point off Matthew Potts and Hasan Ali hoisted the next to deep mid-wicket.

Raine returned to bowl Lintott and then complete the win by knocking out Garton’s middle stump.

“There is a reason why the Bears have been as successful as they have over a number of years, so any win at Edgbaston is great,” added Raine. “I am thrilled with the way we played.”

After losing their opening two matches in the Blast, Durham’s back-to-back wins have thrust them back into a congested pack of teams in mid-table in the northern section.

Ryan Campbell’s side return to action on Thursday night when they host Leicestershire at Seat Unique Riverside. They then play two games next weekend, travelling to Nottinghamshire on the Saturday before hosting Lancashire on the Sunday.