Day Four
Durham produced a thrilling performance late in the day to secure their first Specsavers County Championship Division Two win of the season, beating Derbyshire by 29 runs at Emirates Riverside.
Alex Lees set up a match-winning position with his first century for Durham, displaying patience at the crease. His partnership with Ned Eckersley allowed the home side to set Derbyshire a total of 268 to chase. Momentum swung one way then the other on the final day as Durham initially held the advantage before the visitors struck back.
Matt Critchley appeared to have put his team on course for victory with an innings of 71. However, his dismissal late in the day produced a staggering collapse as the visitors lost their final four wickets in eight deliveries when Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine pounced.
Durham began the day with a 185-run lead and were able to build on their advantage as Lees and Eckersley reached their century stand from 22 overs, continuing their impressive work from Wednesday evening. Eckersley reached his first half-century for Durham from 91 deliveries, playing a vital knock alongside the opener. Their partnership was broken on 123 by Critchley when Eckersely picked out Logan van Deep on the leg-side boundary.
His dismissal sparked a collapse in the lower order as Raine, Brydon Carse and Matty Potts all fell. Lees was in a scramble to reach three figures, but he reached the milestone from 240 balls, getting over the line with a six off Critchley. The innings ended when Rushworth was run out, leaving the visitors a target of 268 after Durham were bowled out for 242.
Derbyshire were solid in their response at the top of the innings as Luis Reece and Billy Godleman saw off the threat from the new ball. They were able to reach lunch unscathed, and the two players recorded their second fifty partnership of the game. However, Reece played a loose drive at a delivery from Potts and was caught behind by Eckersley. Wayne Madsen’s poor game continued when he collected a pair after falling to Raine for the second time in the match.
Rushworth was denied the scalp of Godleman when he overstepped after the opener edged to Cameron Bancroft at second slip. However, he was not to be denied, pinning the Derbyshire skipper lbw for 42 with a fine delivery. Tom Lace continued the procession for the visitors when he was bowled by Raine for 24 on the stroke of tea.
After the interval, Critchley led the Derbyshire counterattack putting the pressure back on the Durham bowlers with a flurry of boundaries. Bancroft had the opportunity to remove Critchley on 22, but he missed the opportunity off Potts. The Derbyshire man put on fifty for the fifth wicket with Alex Hughes in 12.1 overs, whittling down the target for the visitors.
Critchley’s approach unsettled the home side, forcing Bancroft into numerous bowling changes. Carse was able to break the stand at 85 when he bowled Hughes for 40, although Critchley carried on to reach his second fifty of the game from 61 deliveries. Raine returned to halt the Derbyshire charge, removing Leus du Plooy who knicked behind to Eckersley.
The game hinged on Critchley and he seemingly had the chase in control before attempting to go for a big strike off Rushworth. He was caught on the boundary by Trevaskis, which saw his team crumble under the pressure. Derbyshire lost three wickets in four balls as Harvey Hosein was run out before Logan van Beek was bowled by Rushworth. Raine ended the innings to secure the victory for Durham by bowling Palladino for a duck, prompting huge celebrations from the home side.
Day Three
CLOSE: Durham 293 & 160-5 (Lees 63*, Rampaul 3-39) Derbyshire 268 (Critchley 79*, Harte 4-15)
Alex Lees scored a crucial unbeaten half-century to keep Durham ahead in the game against Derbyshire going into the final day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Emirates Riverside.
An innings of 79 from Matt Critchley pulled the visitors to within 25 runs of Durham’s total before they were bowled out for 268. Ben Raine and Gareth Harte claimed four wickets apiece to do the damage for the hosts.
Derbyshire came roaring back into the contest as Ravi Rampaul and Luis Reece caused havoc using overcast conditions to their advantage, taking five wickets between them. Lees provided vital resistance for Durham, notching his second fifty of the game to guide his team into a 185-run lead at the close.
Derbyshire began the day 112 runs behind the home side on 181-6, and they were soon under pressure losing Leus du Plooy for 17 when he was caught behind off Ben Raine. Critchley held firm under pressure and was able to make his way to a half-century from 88 deliveries, reaching the milestone with a boundary.
Gareth Harte returned to the Durham attack to remove Logan van Beek, claiming his fourth wicket of the innings. Despite losing Van Beek and Tony Palladino, Critchley frustrated Durham’s attempt to take complete control of the contest. He and Rampaul added valuable runs for the final wicket, bringing the the visitors to within 25 runs of the home side’s first-innings total before Chris Rushworth removed Rampaul for 12.
Luis Reece put the pressure on the hosts, claiming the vital wicket of Cameron Bancroft, who was well caught low down by Hughes. However, Lees and Harte were able to stem the tide, building a solid partnership for the third wicket by being patient in their approach.
The two players put on a stand worth 52 before Harte chipped a chance to Critchley in the covers off Rampaul to fall for 26. Jack Burnham followed his team-mate back to the pavilion as Rampaul pulled off a brilliant return catch to dismiss the batsman for a duck.
Lees almost continued the procession, but he was dropped at first slip by Wayne Madsen after edging a delivery from Van Beek. Although Lees survived, the collapse was only briefly stymied as Liam Trevaskis was bowled by Reece to leave the home side in trouble at 86-5, with only a slender lead.
The home side regrouped with Lees and Ned Eckersley, with the former making his way to his second fifty of the match from 169 balls. They reached their fifty partnership and looked poised to take Durham to the close unbeaten. Derbyshire were presented with a run out chance to dismiss Lees, only for Tom Lace to throw wide of Harvey Hosein to spurn the opening, allowing the home side to end the day with a healthy lead with five wickets remaining.
Day Two
CLOSE: Durham 293 (Burnham 67, Lees 63 Rampaul 5-77) lead Derbyshire 181-6 (Godleman 66, Harte 3-10) by 112 runs with 4 wickets remaining.
A fine spell of bowling from Gareth Harte has handed Durham control of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Emirates Riverside.
The home side were bowled out for 293 in their first innings, mustering their highest total in the Championship this season. Ravi Rampaul was the star man for Derbyshire, claiming his second five-wicket haul of the campaign. His team-mates made a bright start with the bat, reaching 83-0 before Durham charged back into the contest.
Harte made the decisive surge for the hosts, ripping through the line-up with a spell of 3-10 in the afternoon. Derbyshire were able to recover to a decent position of 181-6 before the rain ended day two prematurely, although they remain 112 runs behind their opponents’ first-innings score.
Durham began the day on 254-8 with work ahead of them to achieve a third batting point. Matty Potts notched a couple of boundaries to make his way to 14 before he was bowled by an inswinging delivery from Tony Palladino. Ned Eckersley attempted to up the ante, scoring a brisk 26, but he ran out of partners when Rampaul removed Chris Rushworth. Rampaul ended with figures of 5-77 – his best in first-class cricket for Derbyshire to bowl the home side out for 293.
In response, the visitors’ openers came out with an attacking intent. Luis Reece and Godleman put Rushworth and Brydon Carse under pressure by scoring freely, picking up boundaries with regularity against the new ball. The two players reached their fifty partnership within 59 balls, handing their side a strong platform to build after the lunch break. Derbyshire continued to make inroads into Durham’s first-innings score before Ben Raine broke the partnership at 83 when Reece edged behind to Eckersley for 34.
Raine claimed the vital scalp of Wayne Madsen before he could settle, edging behind to Eckersley without scoring. Godleman kept his team on course, notching a half-century from 79 deliveries. The Derbyshire captain worked his way to 66 before he became the first of Harte’s victims of the afternoon, missing a straight ball from the all-rounder.
The dismissal of Godleman prompted a collapse in the middle order as the visitors fell from 117-2 to 128-6 in seven overs. Harte was the architect, bowling Tom Lace for 21, whose decision to leave the ball resulting in him losing two stumps, and Harvey Hosein. Rushworth continued the onslaught as Alex Hughes edged to Cameron Bancroft at second slip, putting Durham in command.
Matt Critchley and Leus du Plooy, batting down the order, led a spirited fightback. Critchley thwarted the attempts of the Durham bowlers to take complete command of the match. He held his discipline amid difficult conditions, and he was given a life on 28 when he was dropped at first slip by Alex Lees off a Rushworth delivery. Critchley and Du Plooy reached their fifty partnership before the rain came to end play on day two.
Day One
CLOSE: Durham 254-8 (Burnham 67, Lees 63, Rampaul 4-56)
Alex Lees and Jack Burnham scored half-centuries to lead a solid effort with the bat for Durham on day one of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Derbyshire at Emirates Riverside.
The home side were put under pressure by fine bowling from Ravi Rampaul, who claimed figures of 4-56 for Derbyshire, producing impressive spells with the new ball in hand.
However, Lees and Burnham played the patient knocks that were demanded by head coach James Franklin in the aftermath of the club’s defeat to Gloucestershire last time out. Although neither batsmen was able to make three figures, Durham ended the first day in a decent position at 254-8.
Durham were inserted after Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman opted for an uncontested toss. Michael Jones became the fourth player to open alongside Lees for the home side in the Championship this season. However, Jones lasted just four overs when he edged a Rampaul delivery behind to Harvey Hosein for a duck.
Cameron Bancroft and Lees attempted to see off the new ball. The two players were disciplined in their efforts, but Rampaul was able to remove Bancroft off the penultimate ball of his eighth over, trapping the Durham skipper lbw for 18. Lees survived a run out attempt when he was stranded in the middle of the wicket as Tom Lace missed the stumps.
He made the most of his opportunity, putting on a partnership of 57 with Gareth Harte for the third wicket. They took Durham into the lunch break, but their stand was broken when Harte missed a straight one from Tony Palladino to fall lbw for 24.
Lees kept the home side on course and was rewarded for his patience, reaching his half-century from 102 deliveries. He built another solid partnership with Burnham, but then the opener played a loose drive and was caught a second slip from a Luis Reece delivery to fall for 63.
Burnham took centre stage, building on the work of his team-mate. He picked his moments when to push for boundaries, forming another impressive stand for the hosts with Liam Trevaskis. The duo were able to reach their stand of fifty and push Durham beyond the 200-run mark, earning the first batting point of the contest.
Burnham reached his second Championship fifty of the season from 129 balls, including three fours and a six over mid-wicket. Trevaskis seemed on course to join his team-mate, only to lose his wicket for 40 playing a poor stroke to a short ball from the leg-spin of Matt Critchley.
The timing of the wicket could not have been worse for the home side as Rampaul returned with the new ball. The paceman did the damage once again, causing a collapse in the Durham ranks. He removed Burnham for a fine innings of 67 lbw, and he produced a perfect ball to remove Ben Raine for a golden duck.
Brydon Carse survived the hat-trick ball from the West Indian and added 10 runs to take his team past the 250 and a second batting point. Ned Eckersley and Matty Potts remained unbeaten at the close, leaving the hosts in a solid position heading into day two.