Glamorgan v Durham (Pro40 Overs League)

Glamorgan and Durham shared the spoils in a dramatic tie under the Sophia Gardens floodlights after the home side lost two wickets from the final two balls.

Robert Croft's side seemed to be cruising to victory after they were set 224 by Durham.

Needing five from the last over of the Pro40 Division One match Glamorgan seemed destined to take all two points with James Franklin going well after hitting a 40-ball half-century.

A tie was ensured for Glamorgan three balls from the end, though victory seemed certain in any case.

But from the penultimate ball Croft was run out, after a referral to the third umpire, failing to ground his bat and from the final ball Mick Lewis had Ryan Watkins caught at backward point by Gary Pratt, the 12th man.

Earlier Dale Benkenstein, the Durham captain, had led from the front with 84 to help his side to 223 for nine.

The Dynamos had been struggling at 133 for five when Gareth Breese came to the middle. But the fifth-wicket pair added 77 in 7.3 overs.

Benkenstein perished three overs from the end but not before plundering 84 from 69 balls with ten fours and a six, including 21 from one Franklin over.

Though Durham would have been happy with their final score they lost four wickets in six balls before the end.

Having won the toss Glamorgan put Durham in on a pitch that seamed with the new ball and then turned.

Openers Jimmy Maher and Gordon Muchall looked to have seen off the new ball until Watkins entered the attack and claimed both batsmen in consecutive overs.

Maher was out leg before playing across the line and Muchall, who hit seven fours in his 35, was out caught at fine leg hooking. That left Durham 69 for two.

Benkenstein began his recovery but lost Ben Harmison, stumped down the leg side by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace off slow left-armer Dean Cosker.

In attempting to hit Cosker straight back past him, Gary Scott ended up giving the bowler a return catch to leave the visitors 123 for four.

That became 133 for five two overs later when Phil Mustard drove Cosker straight down the throat of long-on.

But Breese lent more permanent support to Benkenstein, who reached his half-century from 54 balls.

Benkenstein holed out at long-on to give Franklin some consolation as Durham went from 210 for five to 213 for nine.

* Anthony McGrath could not make it on to England's 30-strong provisional list for the ICC Champions' Trophy in India this autumn but his phenomenal batting form continued at Old Trafford yesterday with another century as he and captain Craig White revived Yorkshire's flagging fortunes in the Roses match.

After Lancashire built up a first innings lead of 96, Yorkshire lost Joe Sayers with only six scored, were 12 for one at lunch and looked a beaten side.

But White and McGrath batted throughout the afternoon session together and well into the evening in a fighting second wicket stand of 183 which has provided Yorkshire with a glimmer of hope.

McGrath converted his fifth consecutive Rose's half-century into 102, his fourth century of the season, while the equally unruffled White stayed unbeaten on 78.

McGrath he has never played better since being prematurely discarded and placed on the scrapheap by England in 1004. Last summer he finished with 1,425 Championship runs at an average of 59.37 and, with four matches to go, he can do even better this time.

Early in the afternoon, McGrath leg-glanced Glen Chapple for four and followed up with a firm drive to the boundary before hitting Gary Keedy for a straight six, but progress was patient rather than spectacular. It was only in the 14th over that White moved off two with a boundary after blocking his previous 17 deliveries.

MrGrath completed his 12th half-century of the summer - four of which he has now turned into centuries - off 94 balls with six fours and a six and by tea the pair had moved Yorkshire into credit.