Day 4
Durham’s Bob Willis Trophy opener ends in a six wicket defeat against Yorkshire at Emirates Riverside
Andrew Gale’s men required 68 on the final day to secure the win. Even after rain delayed the start of the action, the White Rose wasted little time in getting over the line, needing only 10.4 overs. Dawid Malan made 73 before he was dismissed, but it was Harry Brook that delivered the win, blasting four sixes on the day, including back-to-back maximums to end the contest.
Yorkshire take 19 points from the contest and head into their next match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge with momentum. Durham on the other hand face a challenge to bounce back against Lancashire on home soil, leaving the game with only three points
Rain wiped out the morning session at Emirates Riverside, making the visitors sweat over the potential of play to chase down the total. However, the clouds soon cleared and the action resumed after lunch.
Malan and Brook both settled into the stride at the crease, notching early boundaries to dispel any notion of a miraculous fightback from the hosts. They reached their fifty partnership from 109 deliveries, whittling down the victory target.
Brook signalled Yorkshire’s intent to end the game as quickly as possible, producing a sublime hook shot to send a Rushworth delivery over the rope. The 21-year-old lined up Paul Coughlin for the same treatment two overs later, dispatching the ball over the leg-side boundary into the East Stand. Brook reached his half-century with a sublime drive through the off-side, taking 85 deliveries to pass the milestone for the first time this season.
Malan took the attack to the part-time leg-spin of Alex Lees, blasting 12 runs off his first five balls. However, Lees would get a semblance of revenge when the left-hander was caught at long-off by Sean Dickson, who ironically dropped Malan on 32 with the game in the balance. It was only the third wicket of Lees’ first-class career and ended a stand worth 98 for the fourth wicket.
Brook was undeterred and carried his team over the line with a late assault to finish 66 not out, hitting Gareth Harte for two sixes on the bounce to reach the victory target with ease.
Post Match reaction
Day 3
Alex Lees had set a promising platform for Durham with his first century of the season. However, Matthew Fisher broke the game open with a brilliant spell with the new ball, claiming four wickets from his six-over burst. The home side lost their final seven wickets for 45 runs, leaving Yorkshire in need of 171 runs.
Chris Rushworth made early inroads into the visitors’ line-up and then claimed his 500th first-class wicket after dismissing Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Dawid Malan survived a dropped chance and then pushed on towards an unbeaten half-century to put Andrew Gale’s men in prime position to secure the win on the final day.
Durham began the day 106-2, only 10 runs ahead of the visitors. However, Lees and David Bedingham continued in the same vein as the previous evening, blunting the Yorkshire attack. The two reached the fifty partnership for the third wicket before building the home side’s advantage. Bedingham began to find his rhythm, dispatching Jordan Thompson to the fence twice in two overs. The South African reached his fifty from 111 deliveries, marking his debut with a fine innings. The century stand followed for the third wicket Durham reached the end of the first session in a strong position 98 runs ahead of the visitors.
The White Rose were in need of a breakthrough to drag themselves back into the game and skipper Steven Patterson provided it. He sneaked a delivery through Bedingham’s defences and trapped the South African lbw for 77, ending the stand for third wicket for 147. Lees grinded his way through to his 16th first-class century with a nudge into the off-side earning his reward for a patient knock, taking 252 deliveries and over six hours to pass three figures.
The arrival of the new ball changed the complexion of the contest. Fisher found swing and dismissed Lees for 106 with a rapid delivery that clipped his pad before removing off-stump. It was the start of a devastating spell of four wickets in 19 deliveries. Fisher sent Jack Burnham tumbling to the deck with a yorker that cleaned up his middle and off stump. Durham skipper Ned Eckersley and Paul Coughlin followed lbw, failing to cope with the full inswinging deliveries.
Jordan Thompson kept the pressure on to remove Ben Raine and Matty Potts without scoring. Gareth Harte was powerless at the other end, but he and Rushworth added a flurry of late boundaries in a partnership of 23. However, the home side were bowled out for 266, leaving the visitors chasing 171 in the fourth innings of the game to secure the win.
Rushworth loomed large in Yorkshire’s reply to move within one strike of 500 first-class wickets after dismissing both Adam Lyth and Will Fraine lbw. Malan and Kohler-Cadmore stemmed the tide, fending off the threat of Rushworth, Raine and Potts with the new ball. The two players put on fifty for the third wicket from 75 balls, but Rushworth returned from the Finchale End to break the partnership and claim his 500th wicket, trapping Kohler-Cadmore lbw for 24.
Sean Dickson missed a glorious chance to dismiss Malan for 32, putting down the former England batsman at first slip after Raine found the outside edge. Malan made the most of his opportunity scoring his first half-century for Yorkshire, leaving his team with a manageable total to chase on the final day, although predicted rain could conspire against them at Emirates Riverside.
Day 2
Alex Lees led a fightback by scoring an unbeaten half-century for Durham on day two of their Bob Willis Trophy clash against Yorkshire at Emirates Riverside, with the hosts ending the day with a lead of 10 on 106/2 in their second innings.
The visitors added 115 to their overnight total to post a decent score of 199 from their first innings. The Durham bowlers shared the wickets around as Chris Rushworth, Ben Raine and Paul Coughlin each struck three times, while Matty Potts notched the other.
Harry Brook top scored for Yorkshire with a decent innings of 41, but no player was able to make the substantial score required to take the game away from James Franklin’s men. There was still plenty for the home side to do to work their way back into the contest. Lees played a resilient knock to notch his first fifty of the term, guiding his team into a slender advantage ahead of day three.
Yorkshire began the day still trailing Durham by 19 runs, but they enjoyed a solid first hour with Dawid Malan and Brook at the crease. Rushworth altered his strategy and attacked from the Finchale End. It brought the breakthrough for the home side as he found Malan’s inside edge and Ned Eckersley took a good low catch behind the stumps.
Brook responded by taking the attack to Coughlin, piercing the off-side to find the boundary twice in the same over. The 21-year-old made his way to 41, but then gave away his wicket to Potts when he picked out Jack Burnham at deep midwicket with a mistimed pull. Raine then found his rhythm, pinning Jordan Thompson lbw for one before uprooting Jonny Tattersall’s off-stump on the stroke of lunch.
Rushworth snapped up the wicket of Matthew Fisher four balls after the restart, who clipped an on-side drive straight to Lees. Late resistance came from Coad, who took on Rushworth and Raine, thriving off their full length. The tailender made 28 useful runs to guide Yorkshire towards the 200-run mark and a batting point. However, Coad and the visitors fell one run short of their target when he feathered an edge behind off Coughlin.
Trailing by 96, Durham needed a solid start to their second innings. Lees survived an early appeal for caught behind and then edged the ball over the top of the slip cordon from a Fisher delivery. However, he and Sean Dickson guided the home side to the tea break, looking secure at the crease. Dickson struggled to rotate the strike after the interval, and Steven Patterson ended the opening stand at 47 as the South African inside edged the ball through to Tattersall. Lees continued to grind and he made his way past the previous highest score in the match, 41, displaying resilience amid miserly bowling for the visitors.
Brilliant fielding from Tattersall broke a promising partnership between Lees and Cameron Steel, running out the latter at the non-striker’s end after he attempted a risky third run. Lees reached his first half-century of the campaign against his former club from 129 deliveries, reaching the milestone with a well-placed drive off Jack Shutt. He and David Bedingham guided Durham back into credit before the close, leaving the contest in the balance.
Day 1
Durham won the toss and opted to bat first, but were put on the back foot by excellent bowling from the Yorkshire attack. Ben Coad set the tone from the off and was on point throughout the Durham innings. He led the way for the visitors, claiming figures of 4-23, while Jordan Thompson was equally impressive with three wickets of his own. Gareth Harte was the only Durham batsman to offer a semblance of resistance with an unbeaten innings of 33.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore made in roads into Durham’s total before he was dismissed nine short of a half-century. Paul Coughlin held the visitors in check with two late strikes, but day one belonged to the Yorkshiremen.
Before the action commenced both sides and the match officials participated in a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of COVID-19 and also took a knee to promote inclusivity in cricket. Durham skipper Ned Eckersley won the toss for the home side and elected to bat. Openers Alex Lees and Sean Dickson were given a tough spell to negotiate in overcast conditions. They reached 12-0 before the rain came and prematurely ended the morning session after only 30 minutes.
Yorkshire began their assault after the restart – earning their rewards for a persistent line and length. Lees was the first man dismissed lbw for seven, undone by an in-swinging delivery from Fisher. Dickson and Cameron Steel followed suit, edging behind to Jonny Tattersall from Coad and Thompson respectively. David Bedingham on his Durham debut looked composed at the crease. However, the South African gave away his wicket, picking out Fisher at deep backward square leg from a Thompson delivery.
Harte attempted to build momentum for the home side, striking a couple of boundaries to stem the tide. Jack Burnham offered support, but Coad returned from the Finchale End to clean bowl him through the gate. Eckersley was trapped lbw before the tea break as his opposite number Steven Patterson claimed his first scalp of the innings. The home side ended the afternoon session 74-6 in dire need of a partnership to edge them towards a semblance of a competitive score.
Yorkshire maintained their relentless mood and Thompson found his rhythm immediately after the tea break, pinning Coughlin lbw for three. Fisher kept the pressure on from the other end and he removed Ben Raine lbw when the left-hander opted to leave a swinging delivery.
Matty Potts provided Harte with a partnership to help Durham edge their way over the 100-run mark. Coad broke the stand at 17 to dismiss Potts when Fisher took a low catch at square leg. He removed Rushworth caught and bowled in the same over to end the home side’s innings in the 59th over of the day.
The visitors made a blistering start to their reply. Kohler-Cadmore took the initiative against Chris Rushworth, dispatching the veteran seamer for four boundaries in his opening two overs. Rushworth was undeterred and found Adam Lyth’s edge to make the breakthrough. Despite the loss of his opening partner, Kohler-Cadmore continued to find the fence taking his score to 41.
Raine got the vital wicket for the hosts to stop his charge, clipping the top of the opener’s off-stump. Coughlin provided a late surge in with two strikes, pinning both Will Fraine and nightwatchman Patterson lbw. Raine then saw a great lbw shout against Dawid Malan turned down as the visitors closed within 19 runs of the home side at stumps.