Post Match reaction Day 4 – Scott Borthwick
Day 3 – Durham 428 & 239/2 vs Leicestershire 273
Matthew Potts claimed career-best figures to give Durham hope of forcing victory against Leicestershire in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match at the Riverside.Potts delivered an outstanding spell with the old ball to remove Hassan Azad to allow the hosts to break into the Leicestershire batting order. The 23-year-old found life out of the pitch that no other bowler was able to conjure, earning figures of six for 58 and passing fifty first-class wickets in the process.The North-East outfit bowled out the visitors for 273 before building a dominant lead of 394 runs courtesy of a maiden first-class hundred from Michael Jones and a fine knock of 84 from Sean Dickson, who capitalised on an ailing Leicestershire bowling line-up. A declaration will likely occur overnight, leaving the hosts requiring 10 wickets on the final day to force their first win of the campaign.Durham were in need of inspiration with the old ball at the start of day three with Azad and Colin Ackermann seemingly entrenched, and Potts responded by bounding in from the Finchale End and hitting the wicket hard to prise out Azad, ending the opener’s stubborn knock after 206 deliveries for 66 and a fine partnership with Ackermann for the third wicket of 112.Azad was cramped up by the accuracy of Potts, which began a clatter of wickets in the Leicestershire middle order courtesy of the Durham seamer. Louis Kimber lasted only three balls before he played on with a loose drive before Nick Welch was pinned lbw for only two to give the home side an opportunity to ramp up the pressure with the arrival of the new ball. In a five-over burst with the old ball, Potts claimed figures of 3-15 to open up the Leicestershire ranks.Ackermann appeared to have stymied the threat before Raine produced a teasing delivery that found the outside edge for 81. The home side continued to chip away and Potts passed a milestone in his career with the next wicket to fall, securing his 50th first-class wicket by removing Ed Barnes with a Scott Borthwick-David Bedingham double act in the slip cordon.After a break from the attack, Potts was called back into action to break another Leicestershire stand. With his first ball of his second spell of the day, the 23-year-old removed Harry Swindells to notch his first wicket-haul in first-class cricket. Potts’ pace and bounce proved to be too much for Will Davis to handle, presenting a simple caught and bowled chance. Liam Trevaskis wrapped up the visitors’ innings, handing Durham a lead of 155 to take into the second innings.The home side were able to capitalise on the absence of both Chris Wright and Beuran Hendricks due to injury as openers Jones and Dickson were able to accelerate at the crease reaching a century stand in the 23rd over. Dickson passed fifty for the second time of the match from only 66 balls, although he was given a life after being dropped on 40 by Welch off Ackermann.Dickson’s attempt to elevate the run rate cost him his wicket 16 shy of a second century of the game. However, Jones succeeded where his team-mate fell, reaching three figures for the first time of his career with a firm strike through the covers before he was out before the close for 108.
Post Match reaction Day 3 – Matthew Potts
Day 2 Durham 428ao v Leicestershire 159/2
Leicestershire dug in on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Durham at the Riverside after the home posted 428 in their first innings.David Bedingham’s brilliant knock of 191 was the foundation of a strong first-innings total from the North-East outfit, while Ben Raine added a useful 51 not out. The visitors had work to do in response, and although it was slow going, half-centuries from Hassan Azad and Colin Ackermann defied the Durham bowlers with a stout defence in an unbroken partnership of 107 for the third wicket.However, Leicestershire still trail the home side by 269 runs with eight wickets remaining in their first innings heading into day three.Resuming on 356 for six, there was an air of ante-climax as Bedingham was only able to add seven runs to his overnight total, falling frustratingly short of a double-century. A delivery from Beuran Hendricks stuck in the wicket, prompting a loose straight drive that the left-arm bowler claimed with ease. Raine and Matthew Potts attempted to guide Durham towards maximum batting points, but Ackermann delivered four-straight dot balls in the 110th over to deny Raine the two runs the hosts required.Durham continued their innings towards the lunch break with Raine and Potts combining for a stand of 61 for the eighth wicket, which was only undone by a sharp Will Davis delivery that kept low to remove Potts for 23. Raine grinded his way to his 13th first-class fifty to further frustrate his former club, but was left stranded as Oliver Gibson and Chris Rushworth were the final two wickets to fall in the Durham innings albeit with a competitive total of 428.Leicestershire openers Azad and Sam Evans blunted the home side’s new-ball attack as Rushworth, Potts and Raine were held in check. Azad, following his century against Worcestershire in the first week of the campaign, was measured in his approach and nullified the opening burst without issue.The home side were forced to be patient for the breakthrough, which eventually came through Raine as he found seam movement off the pitch to find Evans’ outside edge to allow Scott Borthwick to claim a routine catch at second slip. Rushworth prised out George Rhodes as Borthwick collected his second catch of the day, but Ackermann would provide a huge obstacle for Durham bowlers to overcome in the evening session as the Riverside pitch flattened out.The Leicestershire captain combined with Azad to thwart the hosts with a fifty partnership, displaying great control and poise at the crease. A rare mistake by Ackermann on 34 was not punished by Ned Eckersley behind the stumps, who put down a catch on the leg-side off Potts.
Azad was rewarded for his resilience with a half-century, nurdling a Liam Trevaskis delivery into the leg-side to reach the milestone from 161 balls. Ackermann followed his team-mate past fifty to bounce back from a disappointing return against Worcestershire to leave his side well in the contest at the close after reaching the century stand for the third wicket.
Post Match Reaction Day 2 – David Bedingham
Day 1 – Durham 356/6
Centuries from David Bedingham and Sean Dickson provided Durham with a great start to their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two home opener against Leicestershire at the Riverside.Scott Borthwick’s men were reduced to 34 for three after an accurate start from the visitors, but Bedingham and Dickson stabilised the innings with a brilliant partnership worth 231 for the fourth wicket.Bedingham continued his imperious form from the 2021 campaign with a flawless hundred displaying an incredible array of strokes. He was supported by the determined Dickson, who replaced the injured Alex Lees at the top of the order and scored his first Durham century in red-ball cricket. Bedingham remained unbeaten at the close on 184 not out, with the hosts well poised to secure maximum batting points.Durham won the toss on a bright morning at Chester-le-Street, and opted to bat first even without the services of their centurion from Glamorgan, Lees, due to a back injury. Leicestershire made an early breakthrough to capitalise with the new ball as Chris Wright removed opener Michael Jones for five.Keegan Petersen was thrust into the Durham line-up after arriving in the North East on Wednesday. However, the South African’s debut lasted only 15 deliveries after he played-on with a loose drive from Will Davis’ third ball of the day. Durham skipper Borthwick may have been questioning his decision to bat when he endured a torrid 27-ball knock that was ended by a quality spell of bowling from Ed Barnes, reducing the hosts to 34 for three.In need of a partnership, Dickson stemmed the tide alongside Bedingham to steer the home side into the lunch break. Bedingham pressed the accelerator after the interval with a string of boundaries, including a pristine straight drive against Wright. Both players passed fifty within the space of an over as Dickson notched his first half-century of the campaign before Bedingham followed, cutting Barnes to the fence.The visitors struggled throughout the afternoon to make a breakthrough, while matters were made tougher after losing Wright to injury in the middle of his 10th over. Bedingham kept the pressure on the Leicestershire attack, dispatching Davis for two sixes, the second of which found the second row of boxes of the Don Robson Pavilion. The right-hander brought up a deserved century with another sublime drive down the ground, passing the milestone for the first time of the campaign in 144 balls.Dickson faced a nervous wait after reaching 99 before tea, but he got over the line in the first ball after the break to secure his first first-class ton since July 2019. Barnes finally ended a 231-run partnership between Dickson and Bedingham, pinning the former lbw for 120 with a sharp inswinger.
Despite the loss of Dickson, Ned Eckersley and Liam Trevaskis, Bedingham pressed on to his 150 with a sumptuous cut to the fence, piling on the agony for his compatriot Beuran Hendricks and his team-mates on a tough day for the visitors.
Post Day 1 Sean Dickson