Result: Durham 2nd XI (263 & 144/9; Pringle 30; Coles 5/46, Quinn 4/59) drew with Essex 2nd XI (130 & 380; Beard 124, Khushi 123; Pringle 4/30)
Durham win the 2nd XI Championship on first innings lead
Last wicket pairing Chris McBride & Ben Whitehead batted out the last seven overs on the final day as Durham’s Second XI won the Championship final in dramatic fashion at Emirates Riverside.
After rain thwarted any chance of play in the first two sessions, Neil Killeen’s side needed to bat out 27 overs with three wickets in hand to beat the visitors.
And Essex bowlers Matt Coles & Matt Quinn looked to have all-but sealed their victory when last man Whitehead strode out to the crease with 42 deliveries still to be bowled.
However, he & McBride safely negotiated the final overs as Durham secured their second 2nd XI Championship title in the space of three seasons.
The last win, against Middlesex at Emirates Riverside in 2016, lasted merely two days but this encounter went right down to the end of the fourth.
Essex’s three-wicket burst on the third evening left them in complete control, with Durham needing over 150 to win, & they enhanced their chances further by removing Nathan Rimmington shortly after play commenced after a several spells of rain.
McBride & Josh Coughlin were together for nearly 11 overs but a fired up Coles tested Coughlin’s resolve & eventually undid him, tempting him to leave a ball which shaved off stump.
From there, McBride struggled to farm the strike as Coles bowled cleverly in using the bouncer during the last two balls of every over, but Whitehead more than held his own at the strikers’ end.
In the last over with two bat-pad catchers, leg slip & full conventional slip cordon, the leg-spinner held his own to spark scenes of celebration in the home dressing room.
Great way to end the season with some silverware. Big mention to @Mcbride99Chris and @Benwhitehead97 for seeing us home #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/irU5Cz3fF2
— Liam Trevaskis (@LiamTrevaskis) September 7, 2018
Close, Day Three: Durham 2nd XI (263 & 90/7; Pringle 30; Coles 4/36, Quinn 3/34) trail Essex 2nd XI (130 & 380; Beard 124, Khushi 123; Pringle 4/30) by 157 runs
Three wickets in the final ten balls left Essex on the brink of the 2nd XI Championship against Durham at Emirates Riverside.
After returning to the field of play for six overs after a rain delay, Ryan Pringle & Ryan Davies progressed their partnership before the latter fell to Matt Quinn.
The paceman then clean bowled George Harding before the big wicket of Pringle in the final over of the day, yorked by Matt Coles.
Coles finished the day with four wickets & Quinn three after the visitors had fought back through centuries by Feroze Khushi & Aaron Beard.
The pair added a massive 249 for the third wicket, presiding over a wicketless morning session to put them back in charge after being bowled out for 130 on the first day.
Durham hit back well in the afternoon session to bowl Essex out, with Pringle adding three wickets to finish with 4/30 from 14 overs.
Nathan Rimmington & Ross Greenwell took two apiece with Ben Whitehead taking the last one to fall.
Close, Day Two: Essex 2nd XI (130 & 189/2; Beard 65*, Khushi 60*) lead Durham 2nd XI (263; Davies 83, Coughlin 68; Coles 5/50) by 56 runs
Ryan Davies & Josh Coughlin put together a vital partnership before Essex’s batsmen fought back on Day Two of the Second XI Championship final at Emirates Riverside.
Davies (83) & Coughlin (68) combined for a 104-run eighth wicket partnership inside 20 overs to help hand Neil Killeen’s side a vital 133 first innings lead.
The new ball eventually saw off Durham’s resistance with two quick wickets for Matt Coles, handing the experienced all-rounder a five-wicket haul.
However, Davies & Coughlin batted together for most of the morning session after the loss of Chris McBride early in the piece.
Davies’ half-century came in 90 balls & he looked on course for three figures before holing out to deep square leg & Coughlin’s 76-ball effort was only ended courtesy of a stunning catch at slip.
Essex’s reply started cautiously & the pressure told for the fall of the first wicket when Will Buttleman played on to a George Harding short ball.
Fellow opener Paul Walter made a composed 36 before falling shortly after the resumption following tea, with Ryan Pringle taking a stunning one-handed catch off his own bowling
However, Aaron Beard & Feroze Khushi both made unbeaten half-centuries to swing the match back in the balance with two games to play.
Watch @RyanPringle fly!
Live stream: https://t.co/njto2F458Z
Live scorecard: https://t.co/86VoH5vm7tEssex 2nds 73/2, trail by 60 #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/UxRfiP3M2g
— Durham CCC ? (@DurhamCricket) September 5, 2018
Durham’s Second XI gained a slight upper hand on Essex after a wicket-filled Day One of the 2nd XI Championship final at Emirates Riverside.
After winning the toss & electing to bat first, Essex crashed to 130 all out inside 49 overs.
In reply, Durham reached 107/5 at the close but lost opener Michael Jones for 46 as the visitors fought back in bowler-friendly conditions.
Josh Coughlin impressed in taking four wickets early on for Durham, removing Will Buttleman’s middle stump in the fourth over.
Despite a brief recovery, Essex then went from 43/1 to 54/4 in the face of some tight bowling from Durham’s seam bowling unit.
Highly-rated batsman Rishi Patel top-scored with 32 but he was trapped leg before by Coughlin & left-arm spinner George Harding mopped up the tail in quick fashion as Durham pressed home the advantage.
But the visitors managed regular wickets through the first 30 overs to keep Neil Killeen’s side tied down on 65/4.
Jones played an important hand alongside Ryan Davies in a partnership of 38 but fell before the close, nicking Matt Coles behind to keep things relatively even heading into the second day.