Sunday 21 September 2014 09:06, UK
Relieved Durham captain Mark Stoneman admitted to late nerves in his team's three-wicket win over Warwickshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup Final at Lord's.
Durham were set only 166 to win after bowling the Bears out in 47 overs on a dank day at the Home of Cricket.
The chase proved far from straightforward, but Stoneman's 52 at the top of the order was a big help as the job was completed with almost 10 overs to spare despite off-spinner Jeetan Patel's 4-25.
Veteran all-rounder Gareth Breese also took 3-30 with his off-breaks for Durham, and was there at the end too with the winning runs as the Bears were pipped to a domestic limited-overs double despite their captain Varun Chopra's 64.
Stoneman told Sky Sports: "It got a little bit nervy towards the end there. There was a bit in it for the seamers, and a lot of quality throughout their team - so we knew it was going to be hard work.
"Losing a couple early wasn't ideal. But thankfully strength and depth in our line-up got us over the line in the end."
Breese did just that with an involuntary edge wide of the slips to third-man for four off Chris Woakes in an unbroken stand of 36 with Ben Stokes.
After more than a decade at Durham, the 38-year-old from Jamaica is at the end of his career there - but hopes others will be interested in his services.
Breese got the biggest cheer of all from the celebrating supporters, but Stoneman joked the man of the moment may yet be in for an early night.
"He's getting on a bit. So he might be in bed early - but we'll enjoy it as long as he stays out."
Breese said of his winning shot: "It was a bit streaky in the end, but we'll take it. We've had a fantastic team performance (all season)... and today was no different.
"It's not all about me. It's about all the guys up there on the balcony, who bowled fantastically well today and gritted it out with the bat.
"To come out on top is a fantastic effort from the team."
As for his own playing future, he added: "We'll see what opportunities come up. But if none do, I've gone out on a high."
Ben Stokes was man-of-the-match, taking two wickets and scoring 38no. He was there at the end with Breese and he said: “It was brilliant. I told Breesey I wanted to be in there with him at the end although he meant to leave that last ball and it still went for four.
"He thoroughly deserved to be the man who hit the winning runs for everything he's done and achieved for Durham."
"It was tense all the way through - every time we seemed to get on top they picked up a wicket," Stokes said.
"I just tried to stay as calm as possible and make sure I was there at the end."
Stoneman added: "I got a bit twitchy when we were six or seven down. We felt a good partnership would see us home but then we lost Colly (Paul Collingwood) and it got a bit tense."
Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra has led them to the NatWest T20 Blast title this season and they can still finish second in the Championship. The opener said: “There's disappointment but I don't think they feel like losers sat in the changing room now.
"Hopefully we'll have come in the top two in all three forms after next week and that shows how good we are and what a good squad we have.
