Northamptonshire Steelbacks apne chhe matchon ki jeet ke nashe mein chur the, soch rahe the ki Vitality Blast 2025 mein unka koi baap nahi hai. Par 13 June 2025 ko Wantage Road par Durham ne unki hawa nikal di. Aur kaun tha iske peeche? Wohi purana dost, Jimmy Neesham, jo Northants ke khilaaf apne purane ghar mein aisa khela ki sabke muh band kar diye. 50 run banaye, teen wicket chhupaye, aur match ko 15 run se jeet liya. Waah, kya baat hai, Jimmy bhai!
Yeh match koi run-fest nahi tha, jahan ballebaaz aasman chhoo lete hain. Durham ka score 157/8 tha, jo dekha jaye toh itna bhi bada nahi tha. Neesham ne 34 ball mein 50 run thoke, jab team 77/5 par ladkhadha rahi thi. Unke saath Will Rhodes (27) ne thodi si partnership banayi, par baaki ballebaaz toh bas naam ke liye khel rahe the. Alex Lees ne 29 run banaye, par baki ke toh bas hawa mein udte rahe. Northants ke bowlers, jaise Justin Broad (2/22), ne shuru mein toh kaafi dum dikhaya, par Neesham ne aakhri overs mein unki pitayi kar di. Ek over mein toh unhone Procter ko square leg ke upar chhakka bhi maara aur aakhri over mein Sanderson ko ground ke bahar bhej diya. Yeh thi Neesham ki asli T20 class – jab team doob rahi ho, tab akela banda hi kaafi hai.
Chase mein Northants ke Matt Breetzke (41) aur Justin Broad (30) ne thodi si ummeed jagayi, par Durham ke spinners Nathan Sowter (1/12) aur Callum Parkinson (2/16) ne unki saans rok di. Dono ne milke chhe over mein sirf do boundary diye – yeh toh T20 nahi, ODI jaisa lag raha tha! Phir Neesham aaye aur apne bowling se teeno wicket jhatke – Ravi Bopara, Lewis McManus aur Ben Sanderson ko out karke match ko poora Durham ke haathon mein daal diya. Northants 142/8 par khatam hui, aur unka jeet ka sapna toot gaya.
Ab yeh dekhiye, Neesham ka yeh performance koi naya nahi hai. Yaad hai 2019 Cricket World Cup ka final? Neesham ne England ke khilaaf Super Over mein 13 run thoke the, aur ek run-out bhi kiya tha. Par New Zealand haar gaya, aur Neesham ka dil toot gaya. Phir bhi, woh hamesha apne aap ko uthate hain. 2021 T20 World Cup mein bhi unhone clutch moments mein wickets liye the. Yeh banda jab khelta hai, toh dil se khelta hai, chahe team kitni bhi badi kyun na ho. Durham ke liye bhi yeh pehla nahi tha – ek hafte pehle hi Lancashire ke khilaaf unhone 40* run banaye aur 2/31 liye, par tab Anderson ke jadoo ne unhe hara diya.
Northants ke liye yeh haar ek jhatka tha, kyunki woh apne aap ko North Group ka badshah samajh rahe the. Par yaad rakhiye, cricket mein koi bhi team kabhi bhi palat sakti hai. 2022 mein bhi Northants ne Kent ke khilaaf ek match mein Neesham aur Ryan Rickleton ke saath 151 run ki partnership ki thi, aur jeet gaye the. Par is baar unka bowling aur fielding thoda dheela pad gaya. David Willey ne reverse swing dikhayi, par Neesham ke aage woh bhi fail ho gaya.
Ab Durham ki baat karein, toh yeh team koi superstars ki nahi hai. Alex Lees, Ben Raine, aur Nathan Sowter jaise khiladi hain, jo chupke se apna kaam karte hain. Neesham jaisa all-rounder unke liye sona hai. X par fans bhi Neesham ki tareef kar rahe the – ek user ne likha ki Neesham apne 300th T20 match mein aisa dhamaka karega, kisi ne socha bhi nahi tha. Ek aur user ne Northants ke middle order ko blame kiya, aur kaha ki Neesham hi farak banaye. Yeh dikhata hai ki Durham jaise chhoti team ke liye ek match-winner kitna zaroori hai.
Cricket ka yeh jadoo hai – ek din aap hero, doosre din zero. Neesham jaise khiladi chhoti teams ko bada sapna dikhate hain. Jaise 2003 World Cup mein Kenya ne semi-final tak ka safar kiya tha, waise hi Durham bhi apne fans ko kuch bada dikhana chahta hai. Neesham ka yeh performance usi safar ka ek kadam hai. Par yaad rahe, Northants bhi chup nahi baithegi – unke paas Willey aur Breetzke jaise khiladi hain, jo agli baar badla le sakte hain.
Lekin filhal toh Neesham ka raaj hai. Durham ne ek baar phir dikha diya ki bade naam se nahi, dil se jeeta jata hai. Par cricket ka yeh drama kabhi khatam nahi hota – agli baar Northants shayad palatwar kare, aur Neesham ka yeh jadoo shayad thoda phika pad jaye. Kaun jaane, cricket ka yeh khel toh bas anjaana sa hai.
