Day Three
Close, Day Three: Durham (399 & 237/3 declared; Harte 108*, Poynter 80) beat Durham MCCU (134; Raine 4/30, Rushworth 3/9 & 206; Rushworth 3/37) by 296 runs
Durham warmed up for the 2019 campaign with an emphatic 296-run win over Durham MCCU in their pre-season friendly at Emirates Riverside.
Beginning the day of 65-1, Gareth Harte quickly found his rhythm at the crease to pass fifty. However, the partnership between the opener and Ross Greenwell was ended six runs short of a century stand.
Benedict Graves made the breakthrough to dismiss Greenwell for 31 as Jhatavedh Subramanyan claimed a simple catch on mid-on. Stuart Poynter joined Harte in the middle and was fluent, finding the boundary with regularity. The Ireland international made his half-century in 38 balls, scoring seven boundaries and a six.
Poynter was catching his team-mate at the other end with a brisk knock of 80, but he fell shortly after the 100-run partnership, being clean bowled by Adam Dewes. Harte kept plugging away and reached three figures from 180 deliveries by knocking a single down the ground. He finished his innings unbeaten on 108 as Durham declared on 237/3 before lunch.
Chris Rushworth struck immediately to remove Lewis Bedford with the first ball of Durham MCCU’s innings. Nathan Rimmington, Ben Raine and Josh Coughlin joined Rushworth in the wicket column to leave the visitors 48-4.
Graves offered resistance with a half-century, but Rushworth and Rimmington returned to put Durham within sight of victory. Ryan Pringle wrapped up the innings, dismissing Xavier Owen and Jack Campbell.
Day Two
Close, Day Two: Durham (399 & 65/1; Harte 44*) lead Durham MCCU (134; Raine 4/30, Rushworth 3/9) by 330 runs
Will Smith made his way to 174 before Durham’s bowlers put them in a dominant position after two days of the university friendly against Durham MCCU.
Smith extended his overnight stay before holing out in pursuit of quick runs, ably supported by George Harding & Nathan Rimmington.
Chris Rushworth then opened up with two wickets in five consecutive maidens before Ben Raine’s four-wicket haul ensured the students could only muster 134.
In reply, Gareth Harte & Ross Greenwell overcame an early wicket for an unbroken 64-run stand to reach the close of play in complete control.
Smith was on the offensive early doors, reaching the two required overnight for his 150 before opening his shoulders against left-arm spinner Abhiraj Singh which included a sweetly timed maximum over extra cover.
The last two wickets were able to add 60 runs, falling just shy of the 400 mark when Rimmington was trapped LBW.
Rushworth opened the bowling in typically miserly fashion, taking a caught & bowled chance at the second opportunity before thudding one into Adam Dewes’ front pad.
Durham MCCU’s Tom Powe played an array of well-timed drives either side of lunch ,but they lacked any support after he fell, caught behind off Rushworth.
And all-rounder Raine, on his first first-class appearance for the Club since 2011, who took advantage in the afternoon session.
He was helped along by some astute catching behind the stumps as Stuart Poynter took six catches, one short of the record number of dismissals in a first-class innings for Durham.
Harding (2) & Josh Coughlin (1) also saw chances snapped up by the Irishman, leaving Durham a further 26 overs to bat with a commanding 265-run lead.
Alex Lees edged behind in the first over but Harte & Greenwell settled into their strides, looking to capitalise on the last opportunity to impress ahead of the Specsavers County Championship opener at Derbyshire next week.
Day One
Close, Day One: Durham (331/7; Smith 148*, Lees 74) vs Durham MCCU
Centurion Will Smith & Alex Lees led Durham’s batting line-up to a total of 331/7 on Day One of the pre-season friendly against Durham MCCU.
Smith, coming in at number four, batted for much of the day to finish on 148 in a well-controlled & virtually chanceless knock.
The third wicket partnership of 116 with stand-in captain Lees pulled proceedings back towards the hosts’ way after an encouraging start from the students brought two quick wickets.
They came again to take four wickets for 54 runs in the middle order before Smith’s stands with Josh Coughlin & George Harding in the final session pushed Durham over the 300 mark.
Gareth Harte & first-class debutant Ross Greenwell were both caught behind the wicket early doors, the former to a spectacular effort at point, before Lees & Smith got together to restore order.
The opener looked in bullish mood, nonchalantly striking a number of boundaries – including a six off Abhiraj Singh’s first ball – in moving past the fifty mark, the first man to do so in a first-class match in England this year.
Their partnership continued to flourish until miscommunication saw Lees run out by some distance.
Singh went on to have Stuart Poynter trapped LBW & Ben Raine caught & bowled after the former Leicestershire man had launched him onto the Don Robson Pavilion balcony.
But Smith stayed resolute, looking particularly comfortable with his favoured cut shot & was well-supported by all-rounder Coughlin in a 52-run stand.
And once Coughlin departed, caught down the leg side, George Harding played his part in an unbroken 95-run stand to reach close seven wickets down.