STUMPS, Day Three: Durham 361-8 (Richardson 148, Stoneman 131) v Yorkshire 589-8 declared. Durham trail Yorkshire by 228 runs with 2 first innings wickets remaining.
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Michael Richardson and Mark Stoneman both hit centuries, but Durham may yet be forced to follow-on against Yorkshire.
Although Richardson and Stoneman posted career-best scores, the visiting bowlers took wickets at important times during a beautiful sunny day at Chester-le-Street.
On his home debut, Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed second ball, but the two Durham centurions showed plenty of guts and determination against a strong seam attack. With the pitch beginning to assist spin, Adil Rashid chipped in with three important wickets, although a draw looks the most likely result with a day to play.
The morning session didn’t start well as Tim Bresnan dismissed Scott Borthwick cheaply, and Sangakkara then edged an out swinger from Ryan Sidebottom. Adam Lyth eventually took the catch at second slip after the ball had bounced out of Kane Williamson’s hands.
Yorkshire threatened to rip through the Durham top order, but a resilient partnership between Stoneman and Richardson saw the hosts through until lunch. The pair added vital runs before the interval, and continued to bat well into the afternoon.
Stoneman, who had scored a century against MCC in pre-season but had found runs hard to come by in the first two league games, batted with superb concentration and deservedly brought up his 9th first class ton.
The visiting attack had bowled well, with Liam Plunkett particularly threatening and Tim Bresnan very economical. After three successive maidens, Plunkett found the edge of Stoneman’s bat but Adil Rashid failed to cling on at slip.
After reaching his highest first class score, Stoneman then departed with Plunkett finally getting his man. Stoneman offered no shot to a ball that shaped in from around the wicket and the left-hander was wrapped on the pad, with Jeremy Lloyds raising his finger.
Undeterred, Richardson continued to make progress in the bright afternoon sunshine. The South African had to be patient during the morning but played in a more fluent fashion during the afternoon, with one particular eye-catching six coming off the bowling of Rashid.
Paul Collingwood was bowled by the leg spinner just before tea, and Phil Mustard nicked a Plunkett delivery through to Hodd to depart cheaply shortly after the break, but Richardson eased towards three figures and brought up the landmark with a fine lofted shot over extra cover.
As the shadows lengthened on the pitch Mark Wood tried to cut a ball from Rashid but only succeeded in chopping onto his stumps. Wood, who had done well to survive some hostile short-pitched balls from Plunkett and some testing swing bowling from Sidebottom, looked up to the sky in disgust before trudging off.
Richardson, in trying to secure an extra batting point, used his feet to good effect and lofted Rashid over the long on boundary. The very next ball though, Richardson again left his crease but the ball turned sharply and Hodd completed the stumping.
The in-form Jamie Harrison (15*) joined forces with Graham Onions (12*) to see the champions through to the close, still 228 runs behind.
STUMPS, Day Two: Durham 62-1 v Yorkshire 589-8 declared (Gale 124, Lyth 104) at Emirates Durham ICG. Durham trail by 527 runs with 9 first innings wickets remaining.
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Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale scored a century to put his side in a commanding position on day two.
Just as on the first day, one batsman passed three figures whilst another fell just short of a century, with Jonny Bairstow (95) the unlucky man.
Adil Rashid (68) also chipped in with a valuable contribution before Yorkshire declared shortly after tea.
Durham lost the wicket of Keaton Jennings before the close, but some fluent stroke play from Mark Stoneman (48*) helped the hosts fight back in a positive fashion.
After a wicketless morning session, Durham finally dislodged the impressive Bairstow, who clearly felt aggrieved at his dismissal. Struck on the pad by a good delivery from Chris Rushworth, replays indicated that the ball looked to be missing the stumps.
There was no such mis-fortune for the visiting skipper though. Resuming after lunch on 98, Gale quickly got the two runs he needed to register his 16th first class century, but then he seemed to lose momentum and a loose shot outside his off stump gave Keaton Jennings a first victim.
Without the bowling services of Scott Borthwick, Paul Collingwood turned to one of his part-time spinners. Mark Stoneman, who hasn’t bowled in championship cricket before, ended up completing 19 overs but couldn’t manage to take a wicket.
Although the run rate dropped during the afternoon, Adil Rashid and Andrew Hodd played in a busy fashion and brought up a fifty partnership before the players walked off the field for tea.
With a declaration in mind, the Yorkshire batsmen batted with clear intent after the break but after taking the third new ball, Durham took three quick wickets.
Chris Rushworth banged the ball in short and Rashid leant back to cut but could only pick out Kumar Sangakkara, who pouched a straight forward catch on the cover point boundary.
England all rounder Tim Bresnan strode to the crease but Graham Onions raced in from the Lumley End and quickly sent him back. Onions had Bresnan caught behind, and with the very next ball he dismissed Liam Plunkett thanks to a full pitched delivery that struck the former Durham man on the pad.
Yorkshire promptly declared on 589-9, the third highest score that has been posted at Emirates Durham ICG, leaving Durham 26 overs to negotiate until the close.
Mark Stoneman, after a few low scores in the opening two matches, looked to have rediscovered his touch as he batted with impressive intent. He punched firmly off the back foot, drove beautifully through the covers and looked high in confidence.
The more circumspect Keaton Jennings helped Stoneman see off the new ball but after successfully negotiating the first hour, he then edged a Sidebottom delivery through to Hodd.
With the light beginning to fade, new batsman Scott Borthwick had to be watchful before the umpires took out their meters. They allowed an over of spin from Kane Williamson before deciding that conditions had worsened and called a premature halt to play.
STUMPS, Day One: Durham v Yorkshire 299-3 (Lyth 104, Williamson 68) at Emirates Durham ICG.
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An excellent partnership of 179 between Adam Lyth (104) and Kane Williamson (97) ensured that Durham had a frustrating first day against Yorkshire.
Two wickets after tea threatened to give Paul Collingwood’s men some late impetus, but overall it was a day of missed opportunities for the hosts.
Visiting captain Andrew Gale, restored to the side after he dropped himself for the previous game at Middlesex, surprised many observers by opting to bat first upon winning the toss.
In seamer friendly conditions, Durham’s bowlers struggled to make an early breakthrough though. The normally metronomic Graham Onions was unable to find a consistent line and length, with the Yorkshire batsmen playing watchfully.
Chris Rushworth saw an edge from Adam Lyth land just short of Scott Borthwick at second slip, and then the same bowler thought he had Alex Lees caught behind. However, despite a big appeal umpire Jeremy Lloyds adjudged that the left hander had brushed his pad with the bat, rather than the ball.
Durham may have felt slightly aggrieved, but Jamie Harrison started his first spell impressively and induced Lees to edge through to Phil Mustard.
New Zealand International Kane Williamson joined Lyth at the crease, and the pair guided Yorkshire to the lunch interval on 80-1.
The slate grey clouds started to break up after lunch and the Yorkshire batsmen continued to bat well as the sun shone. Adam Lyth, with three half-centuries already this season, pulled a short ball from Harrison to the midwicket boundary to bring up his half-century.
Paul Collingwood rotated his bowlers without success, although Lyth should have been dismissed when on 89. Lyth edged a delivery to Borthwick, but he could only parry the ball into the air and Collingwood couldn’t cling on to the rebound. Borthwick bruised his finger in the process and was unable to bowl as result.
Yorkshire’s scoring rate continued at a good rate and Williamson reached his half-century just before the batsmen shook hands to celebrate a century partnership.
The milestones kept arriving as Lyth cut for four to bring up three figures, and Yorkshire had coasted past 200 before the players headed in for tea.
A break seemed to do the trick as Lyth then edged the first ball he faced straight to Borthwick at second slip to give Harrison a second victim. Suddenly, the bowlers were looking menacing and Harrison immediately struck Gale on the pad but Umpire Alex Wharf shook his head.
Mark Wood, bowling well on his first appearance of the season, thought he’d got a wicket on his return but saw Mustard spill a difficult low chance after an edge from Williamson.
Durham took the new ball and Onions found the edge of Gale’s bat, only for debutant Kumar Sangakkara to momentarily take his eye off the ball as it slipped out of his hands at third slip.
Williamson was closing in on a deserved century until Rushworth found some extra zip and breached the 23 year old’s defence. The ball crashed into the off-stump and Williamson had to depart just three runs short of three figures.
Gale and England International Jonny Bairstow edged their team towards a third batting bonus point before the close, leaving Durham urgently needing early wickets on day two.