CHESTER-LE-STREET (England), June 20: Liam Plunkett took four wickets for 15 and then hit an unbeaten 30 with the bat to send Durham into the county's first Lord's final. The England bowler claimed his career best figures as Essex were skittled for just 71 runs in the semi-final of the Friends Provident Trophy.
But the home side came close to making a hash of the run chase, collapsing to 38-5 before Plunkett joined Ottis Gibson at the crease.
The turning point came one run later, in the 10th over of the chase, when Danish Kaneria dropped a sprawling chance at mid-on from a chipped drive by Gibson.
Later in the same over Graham Napier bowled a no-ball and Plunkett lofted the free hit for a towering straight six.
Fittingly it was Plunkett who hit the winning runs, forcing Martin Saggers through the covers off the back foot, to seal a three-wicket success.
Durham will face Hampshire who defeated Warwickshire by 40 runs in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
Scoreboard
ESSEX:
M.L. Pettini c Smith b Killeen 5
A.N. Cook c Mustard b Gibson 0
V. Chopra c Plunkett b Killeen 9
A.J. Bichel c sub b Plunkett 24
G.W. Flower c Mustard b Gibson 0
J.S. Foster lbw b Gibson 0
R.N. ten Doeschate b Killeen 0
J.D. Middlebrook c Mustard b Plunkett 6
G.R. Napier lbw b Plunkett 14
Danish Kaneria c Smith b Plunkett 0
M.J. Saggers not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-9, W-4) 13
TOTAL (all out, 22.1 overs) 71
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-11, 3-22, 4-25, 5-25, 6-26, 7-38, 8-66, 9-66.
BOWLING: Killeen 7-2-9-3; Gibson 6-1-21-3 (1w); Harmison 5-1-17-0 (1w); Plunkett 4.1-1-15-4 (2w).
DURHAM:
M.J. Di Venuto c Foster b Bichel 0
P. Mustard lbw b Saggers 2
W.R. Smith c Foster b Bichel 5
P.D. Collingwood lbw b Bichel 1
S.B. Styris lbw b Bichel 16
D.M. Benkenstein c Cook b Napier 4
G.R. Breese lbw b Napier 1
O.D. Gibson not out 5
L.E. Plunkett not out 30
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-3, NB-2) 8
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 19 overs) 72
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-4, 3-6, 4-17, 5-34, 6-34, 7-38.
DID NOT BAT: S.J. Harmison, N. Killeen.
BOWLING: Bichel 7-2-22-4; Saggers 6-1-24-1 (2w); Napier 3-0-14-2 (1nb, 1w); Danish Kaneria 3-0-6-0.
RESULT: Durham won by three wickets.
UMPIRES: J.W. Holder and J.W. Lloyds.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Liam Plunkett.—Agencies