Durham 392 (Borthwick 136, Collingwood 101, Wagner 5-104) beat Northamptonshire 83 (Rushworth 9-52) and 90 (Rushworth 6-43) by an innings and 219 runs
Scorecard
Durham's Chris Rushworth took a mind-boggling 15 wickets in 18 overs as relegated Northamptonshire expired without a fight on a blameless Chester-le-Street pitch.
He had previously been without a five-wicket haul this season, had match figures of 20-3-95-15 as the visitors subsided for 83 and 90 - in reply to Durham's 392 - to lose by an innings and 219 runs and batted for a total of 40 overs and two balls.
In the first innings Rushworth took 9 for 52, the best analysis in the country this season, denied the chance of all ten when Ben Stokes nipped in for the ninth wicket. Only two bowlers have ever taken a full set in the Championship, Middlesex's Richard Johnson in 1994 and Ottis Gibson for Durham in 2007 when he claimed 10 for 47 against Hampshire.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about a ten-for in the first innings, but I'll take nine," he said. "Winning the game is the most important thing and to do it so quickly gives us a bit more time off before our final at Lord's.''
Rushworth's innings figures sat second behind Gibson while his made tally was the best in the Championship since Martin Bicknell took 16 for 119 against Leicestershire in 2000 and the best ever for Durham, overtaking Alan Walker, the current bowling coach, who took 14 against Essex in 1995. Rushworth's previous best innings haul was 6 for 58 at home to Somerset in the first match of last season.
"It's been an incredible day's cricket - everything has happened so fast," he said. "There have been times when I have bowled as well as that this season with little reward.
"There wasn't that much swing, but the pitch was offering some help so I just tried to hit the seam and get the ball in the right area. I was also helped by some good catches."
However, Rushworth will not be enjoying a celebratory pint this evening having given up alcohol for the whole year for charity. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted at the minute," he joked afterwards.
He is usually at his most dangerous on early season pitches but the overcast conditions suited him here as he took the first eight at a cost of 36 runs in 10 overs either side of lunch before Stokes had Maurice Chambers caught a second slip.
Last man Azharullah slogged at nearly every ball, skying a catch to mid-off, where Mark Stoneman held his second catch after also accepting a careless drive by Neil Wagner.
Of Rushworth's seven other first-innings scalps, two were bowled, one was lbw and the others fell to edged catches. He has often bowled equally well this season without luck and began this match with 43 Championship wickets.
The ball which took him to 50 sent Rob Keogh's off stump flying. During an opening stand of 33 the greater threat appeared to come from India paceman Varun Aaron with his fast away swingers. When he did find the edge the ball dropped just short of Paul Collingwood at first slip.
Rushworth made the breakthrough in the ninth over when he had top scorer James Middlebrook caught at second slip. In his next two overs he had Kyle Coetzer caught at fourth slip and nipped one back to have opener James Kettleborough lbw in the over before lunch.
He struck twice in his first over after the break - claiming the wickets of both Adam Rossington and Rob Newton - before he bowled out Ben Duckett two overs later, and the procession continued in the second innings, when Stokes struck first by having Kettleborough caught at first slip.
Coetzer was next to fall victim, while Middlebrook, Keogh and Newton also fell cheaply. Duckett made it into double figures before he was caught by Borthwick and Andrew Hall lost his wicket in the 13th over.
At that point Rushworth had 6 for 27 in 6.1 overs but after eight overs was eventually pulled out of the attack with three wickets left to take.
The reckless batting continued and Irishman Peter Chase profited with two wickets - seeing Rossington and Wagner both caught by Stoneman - while Aaron took his only one when Chambers edged via his pad to second slip, but all the talk was about Rushworth.
