Day 4- Durham 360 draw with Kent 353/8
Durham rounded off the 2024 season with a draw against Kent as the visitors batted the day out to earn a creditable draw in their rain-affected Vitality County Championship clash at Seat Unique Riverside.
Jack Leaning and Joe Denly led a good Kent batting performance, something that has been all too rare this season, and secured a draw on day four at the Seat Unique Riverside with some good batting with the tail from Evison.
Leaning and Denly came together after an early wicket for the hosts and combined for a partnership worth 124, with Kent finishing on 353 for eight as the captain’s shook hands at 4:20pm.
The draw gives Kent a good end to a disappointing season, with the county finishing bottom of Division One and as a result they will be playing in Division Two in 2025, where they will be targeting an instant return to the top tier.
Meanwhile for Durham, they have secured a mid-table finish in their first Division One season for eight years and there’s plenty of positives for the North East county to take from their first season back amongst the elite, most notably the emergence of youngsters Ben McKinney, James Minto and Daniel Hogg. They will look to close the gap to the top of the table next season, with Will Rhodes, Sam Conners and Emilio Gay all joining permanently for the next campaign.
In addition to that, depending on the schedule in 2025, they could also have England Test skipper Ben Stokes to call upon, he was spotted continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury at Chester-le-Street as he targets a return from injury for the Pakistan Test series.
Kent resumed on 96 for three after an eventful third day at Chester-le-Street, with skipper Leaning and nightwatchman Jas Singh at the crease.
Singh did his job and didn’t last long with him feathering a Bas de Leede ball down the legside to Ollie Robinson in the second over of the day.
Leaning played a lovely straight drive from the bowling of de Leede to get himself going on day four.
Joe Denly looked in good touch and played a lovely cut shot on the offside for four as the former England man halted the hosts’ push for wickets along with his captain.
Leaning then reached his fifty from 108 balls to give the already-relegated visitors some hope of picking up a creditable draw in the North East.
At the other end Denly continued to find the boundary, with the experienced right-hander whipping a Chemar Holder delivery through mid-wicket for four.
Durham had a chance to get Denly out as he played an aerial shot off the bowling of Minto, but Callum Parkinson dropped it at fine leg. It was a drop that the hosts would later regret as Denly reached his half-century, which came from 82 balls and included five fours.
The visitors reached lunch without further loss and Leaning hit the first ball after the break through mid-wicket for four.
Parkinson then dropped Denly again after he failed to take a tricky return catch off his own bowling. However, it was third time lucky for the left-arm spinner as he got Denly caught and bowled for 63.
Leaning then quickly followed him into the pavilion for an excellent 84 after he pulled a de Leede delivery straight to Minto on the legside boundary.
Evison came to the crease and swung some momentum back to the visitors, with the all-rounder carving a Hogg delivery to the offside boundary and he then pummelled a Parkinson ball down the ground for six.
Marcus O’Riordan then departed after he edged a Hogg delivery to Colin Ackermann at slip for three.
Evison continued to motor alongside Grant Stewart as they took Kent past the follow-on target, but Stewart departed for 40 just after tea, handing Holder his first wicket of the match.
Evison reached his fifty from 67 balls and saw out the draw for the visitors alongside Matt Parkinson.
Day 3- Durham 360AO vs Kent 96/3
A sparkling century from Alex Lees gave Durham the upper hand in their Vitality County Championship clash with Kent despite a six-wicket haul from Matt Parkinson.
Play was abandoned without a ball bowled on days one and two after heavy downpours at the Seat Unique Riverside, so Lees was on a mission to get quick runs with so much time lost in the game.
Lees (144 off 180) was well backed up by Emilio Gay, who made 52, and David Bedingham, who made a swashbuckling 66, as the hosts made 360 in their first innings.
Matt Parkinson led a Kent fightback after tea as he picked up figures of six for 109 to give the visitors some hope.
Kent’s reply didn’t get off to the best start as they lost early wickets but Harry Finch and Jack Leaning combined for a partnership worth 72 to stall the hosts but they closed on 96 for three, still 264 behind Durham.
Kent captain Leaning won the toss and elected to bowl, with Ben McKinney and stand-in skipper Lees opening for the hosts.
Lees found his groove early on with a lovely cover drive off the bowling of Grant Stewart.
McKinney joined the party as he crunched a glorious shot to the boundary and Lees then reached his run-a-ball fifty with eight boundaries in the Durham skipper’s knock.
Kent struck back, with Nathan Gilchrist removing McKinney for 23 after he was caught in the covers.
Gay, who is on loan from Northamptonshire ahead of his permanent move to the North East next year, came in and elegantly flicked one off his pads for four.
Lees continued to motor, combining well with Gay, and he carved a Stewart delivery for four to third man.
After lunch, Lees resumed unbeaten on 95 and reached his fourth century of the season from 115 balls just minutes later.
Gay impressed on his home debut looking calm at the crease and he manipulated the field well with the number three reaching his fifty from 92 balls.
However, he didn’t last much longer as he feathered a Jas Singh delivery down the legside and it was caught well by Harry Finch behind the stumps.
Bedingham wasted no time getting into the groove as Division One’s leading run scorer hit back-to-back sixes over the legside boundary off the bowling of Singh.
Bedingham continued to hit the Kent attack around the park with the South African international reaching fifty from 30 balls, which included three fours and four sixes.
Bedingham then continued his onslaught as he smashed a Stewart full toss over the ropes, but he went for one maximum too many as he was caught off the bowling of Matt Parkinson for a 38-ball 66. Kent then got a second wicket in quick succession as Lees fell for an excellent 144 after he was caught at mid-wicket off the bowling of Stewart.
Ollie Robinson then holed out for five, giving Matt Parkinson his second of the afternoon, and Bas de Leede quickly followed for a duck.
Durham resumed after tea and 16-year-old James Minto, who is making his home debut, hit his first six in First Class cricket as he smashed a Matt Parkinson delivery down the ground for six. However, the teenager’s joy did not last as the leg spinner bowled him for 25.
Matt Parkinson then got his fourth as Daniel Hogg edged to slip and he then got his twin brother Callum out caught and bowled to wrap up his five wicket haul.
The former Lancashire man then got his sixth as Durham were bowled out for 360.
Kent’s reply got off to the worst possible start with Tawanda Muyeye caught behind off the bowling of Daniel Hogg for five.
Kent then lost a second wicket as de Leede sent Jaydn Denly’s off-stump flying for 12.
Finch and Leaning then came together and combined well with some lovely shots, but Colin Ackermann bowled Finch for 34 just before the close to leave Kent three down at stumps.
Day 2 – no play possible