Inglis slams T20 hundred as Aussies fire in England

Josh Inglis smashed a century for Leicestershire and Cameron Bancroft led his Durham side to victory with a match-winning knock as Australians shone in England's T20 Blast competition.

Inglis struck a Twenty20 career-best 103 not out as Leicestershire beat Northamptonshire by 34 runs to record their first win of the campaign.

The Perth Scorchers right-hander thrashed four sixes and 13 fours in a stunning 62-ball knock as Leicestershire piled up 2-200 before earning a 34-run win.

Inglis dominated from the get-go, his six over mid-wicket off Ben Sanderson in the second over a sign of things to come.

He reached his fifty with a glorious straight six and then unfurled nine more fours, finding all parts of the boundary in a stellar display of improvisation.

He also hit the biggest six of the day before dinking Ben Sanderson over fine leg to reach three figures in the final over.

"I'm really happy," Inglis said.

"It was a bit different today because I got off to a flyer, struggled a bit in the middle and just tried to take it a bit deeper into the innings and I got away towards the end. It's really nice to get three figures.

"I'm over the moon. I'm just really happy to get a win, to be honest. It's been a tough week or so; playing back-to-back games when you're losing isn't always the best and we've struggled for consistency.

"But today we obviously posted a big total and it makes it easier for the bowlers."

Bancroft scored an unbeaten 76 which proved the foundation of Durham's 22-run win over the Birmingham Bears at the Riverside. 

Ben Stokes, in his first appearance since he broke his finger in April, also made a successful return as Durham made it four wins out of six under Bancroft's captaincy. 

Stokes scored 29, claimed one wicket and took two catches, including a brilliant effort to dismiss Ed Pollock.

Bancroft kept the Durham innings ticking through the middle overs and, in anchor mode, reached his maiden T20 fifty for Durham from 40 deliveries.

His confidence flowed towards the climax of the innings as he ramped and swept Carlos Brathwaite to the boundary, allowing Durham to post 4-185 from their 20 overs.

South African Brydon Carse then recorded career-best figures of 3-30 to limit Birmingham to 8-163.

Elsewhere, England captain Joe Root top-scored with 49 off 36 balls as he led his Yorkshire side to a 39-run win over the Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley.

Root is back for his county prior to one-day international duty next week and contributed significantly, alongside Harry Brook's unbeaten 48, to their 6-174.

Root did miss out on a sixth half-century in his last seven Blast innings dating back to July 2018, but he still averages a fabulous 75.59 with 378 runs in that sequence.