Sanderson hails 'real team effort' as Steelbacks secure excellent win at Durham

It was a fifth victory from as many Vitality T20 Blast matches for the Steelbacks, who have made a flying start in the Central and West Group.

Sanderson, who took two for 26 from his four overs, was at the heart of it as he helped his team to defend their 145 for nine with a brilliant bowling effort.

He even shrugged off a dislocated finger late in his spell.

“The finger’s a bit sore now, and it’s going a bit blue, which is a bit worrying," Sanderson said. "But it’s all good.

“We watched how they bowled on it and took away what we could. Pace off was the key, especially at the end when it’s sticking in the wicket like it was.

“It was a real team effort to defend that score.

“We probably thought we were light at half-time. We wanted 150 or 160 on that pitch.

“But, the way we’re playing our cricket at the minute, we’ve got that belief that we can do anything. Long may that continue.”

Durham skipper Alex Lees said: "At the halfway point, we thought we could chase it.

"I think it was quite a challenging surface. We’ve had a couple now that we’ve probably not known what we were going to get.

“We're bitterly disappointed. There were regular wickets, and some old-school T20 cricket was probably needed and not the crash, bang, wallop that we’re used to now.

“I think had a more experienced player got a run-a-ball 50, it might have been enough.

“The batters probably felt like they couldn’t access the boundaries that easily.

“It’s obviously a big ground here, and you have to try and skin it a different way.

"But we just didn’t have enough at the back end.”