Result: Worcestershire (335 & 242/3d; Mitchell 123*) beat Durham (208 & 232; Clark 62; Ashwin 5/95) by 137 runs
Durham’s 2017 season ended in disappointment in stark contrast to the hosts as Worcestershire’s win confirmed them as champions of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two.
It was the first Championship win over their opponents for 14 years as Durham were set a target of 370 in 76 overs & bowled out for 232 with overs remaining, despite a battling half-century from Graham Clark.
Former captain Daryl Mitchell scored his seventh Championship century of the season before current skipper Leach took his Championship wicket tally to 69 – the highest tally in Division Two – with an early double strike to set his side on their way to victory.
Mitchell helped to set up the declaration after Worcestershire resumed on 157-3. He reached three figures off 134 balls with nine fours and ended undefeated on 123 out of 242-3.
He was given excellent support by George Rhodes (51 not out) in an unbroken stand of 111 in 24 overs.
Leach got to work with the ball and trapped Cameron Steel (5) and Jack Burnham (11) both LBW before lunch.
Then Ashwin had Keaton Jennings (20) – in his final innings for Durham – pouched by Mitchell at slip.
Clark & Paul Collingwood provided staunch resistance in a stand of 88 in 20 overs. But then wickets starting to fall in quick succession.
Ed Barnard removed Collingwood (36) and Clark (62) – both leg before – in successive overs and Ashwin returned to dispose of Ryan Pringle who was caught off a top edge at square leg.
By tea Durham had moved onto 148/6 with 33 overs remaining. The end came quickly after the interval.
Leach bowled Michael Richardson (17) and Ashwin removed Liam Trevaskis (9) and Chris Russhworth (0) with successive deliveries. The Indian spinner completed his nap hand when Graham Onions was caught at cover to spark wild scenes of celebration.
Close, Day Three: Worcestershire (335 & 157/3; Mitchell 68*; Pringle 2/22) lead Durham (208; Clark 60; Leach 3/30) by 284 runs
Durham face an uphill task to avoid defeat on the final day at Worcestershire after the hosts ensured their promotion to Division One on Day Three at New Road.
The visitors were bowled out for 208 after the final five wickets fell in the morning session to wrap up the maximum of six points required before the game.
Michael Richardson finished unbeaten on 45 in an important final wicket stand of 30 with Graham Onions that helped Durham avoid the follow-on, from which they were ten shy after the ninth wicket fell.
Captain Joe Leach made the first breakthrough as Ryan Pringle (2) was caught behind – his 66th victim of the season – and then Liam Trevaskis (5) was trapped lbw by Ravichandran Ashwin’s carrom ball.
Barnard struck twice in quick succession as Mark Wood (0) played back and was bowled and Chris Rushworth (9) fell to a low catch by Mitchell at second slip.
A lifter from Pat Brown ended a last wicket stand of 30 between Richardson & Onions who gloved a lifter to Mitchell.
Onions shared the new ball with Rushworth and was successful in his second over as Brett D’Oliveira (4) was LBW.
But Mitchell and Tom Fell cemented Worcestershire’s position of strength during a free-scoring stand of 113 in 25 overs.
Fell looked in particular good touch in making his top score in 2017 of 41 before he tried to work Ryan Pringle to legand was lbw.
Joe Clarke (5) departed in Pringle’s next over with Graham Clark taking a smart catch at short leg.
When bad light and rain intervened, Mitchell, who has scored six Championship centuries this summer, was unbeaten on 68 out of 157-3 – an overall advantage of 284.
Close, Day Two: Durham (142/5; Clark 60; Leach 2/18) trail Worcestershire (335; Ashwin 82, Barnard 75; Onions 4/68) by 193 runs
Close, Day One: Worcestershire (90/3) vs Durham
Rain restricted Durham to three wickets from the 26 overs possible on truncated opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash against Worcestershire at New Road.
The hosts, chasing six points from this fixture for promotion to Division One, perched uneasily on 13/2 after choosing to bat and being given a searching examination by the Durham pace trio of Chris Rushworth, Graham Onions and Mark Wood.
But by the time rain and bad light had led to play being called off for the day at 5.15pm, Joe Clarke had moved onto an unbeaten run-a-ball 46 after he had wrestled the initiative back from the Durham attack.
Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach opted to bat first on a new wicket already showing signs of taking spin via Durham debutant, slow left armer Liam Trevaskis, but it was the seam bowlers who did the initial damage.
Worcestershire opener Daryl Mitchell went into the game as the second highest run-scorer in Division Two but after making five he edged Rushworth to Keaton Jennings at second slip.
Tom Fell was then bowled by an inswinging delivery from Onions to leave Worcestershire on 13-2 in the 10th over.
There was much playing and missing of the new ball & Clarke inside edged Rushworth for four but he & D’Oliveira gradually started to flourish.
Clarke reeled off a series of impressive boundaries and the 50 stand with D’Oliveira came up in 11 overs.
After battling his way to 22, D’Oliveira pushed forward to Jennings and was caught by Paul Collingwood at second slip at 69-3.