After losing the toss and batting first in hazy weather Durham posted a first innings total of 163 at Edgbaston on day one of their LV= County Championship game against Warwickshire. At the close the hosts were 116-5 in response.
Will Smith (2*) was the first to fall foul of Warwickshire’s attack when he was caught behind off Chris Wright with the total at 12. Paul Collingwood became Keith Barker’s first victim when he was trapped lbw on 4.
Michael Di Venuto and Ben Stokes added 33 runs to the score before the former, who passed the 25,000 first class runs mark in the innings, was trapped lbw by Wright for 29.
Durham were 76-4 after Dale Benkenstein became the third lbw dismissal, giving Jeetan Patel his only scalp of the innings.
Barker performed well in bowler friendly conditions, the highlight for him and the downfall for Durham being his triple wicket maiden after lunch with saw the visitors rooted on 99 and losing Stokes (35*), Phil Mustard and Scott Borthwick in the process. Callum Thorp (2) became Barker’s fifth victim and taking his session figures to 5-33 from 17 overs.
Ian Blackwell and Graham Onions went on to record the highest partnership of the innings with a stand of 49 before the spinner was bowed by Wright on 19.
Mitchell Claydon (9) was the last man standing after the dismissal of Onions, who was caught behind off Wright on 36, the top score of the Durham innings.
Defending a total of 163 it was important that that the bowlers made early inroads and that they did! Onions struck with the fifth delivery of the Warwickshire innings dismissing Varun Chopra who nicked the ball to Paul Collingwood at first slip.
The hosts were 2-2 after Callum Thorp bowled Will Porterfield with his sixth delivery bringing Jonathan Trott to the crease to join Ian Bell. Their partnership lasted less than five overs with Trott (2) returning to the pavilion after edging an Onions delivery to Michael Di Venuto in the slips.
A change in the bowling attack for the 12th over saw Mitchell Claydon strike with his fourth delivery, trapping Jim Troughton lbw for just 1, leaving Warwickshire 14-4.
Ian Bell and Darren Maddy dug in and established what could be the defining partnership of the innings adding 85 to the score before Onions made the important breakthrough, as Maddy was caught by Di Venuto on 35, with seven overs remaining of the session.
At the close of play Warwickshire were 116-5 with Bell 59* and Ambrose 9*
At the close of play Graham Onions said, “I’m feeling good, it’s been an interesting ten days or so, it’s rained a lot and it has been hard to get rhythm. It’s just a case of trying to do as much as you can and keep yourself ticking over in the indoor schools. Today was nice, it was good to get a few overs under our belts.
“I want to get the best players out, Trotty scored a 170 last week, he’s one of the best players in the world and I will do everything I can to get them out, it’s in my nature. We need to come back tomorrow and get a couple of early wickets and see how the game pans out.
“I enjoyed batting today, in what were testing conditions, Warwickshire have got a very good bowling attack and they are a very good side. It was nice to have a little bit of time in the middle and help us get past 150 and give ourselves a chance of something to bowl at.”