Day 4 Report
Michael Jones scored his maiden first-class fifty, as Durham closed their Bob Willis Trophy campaign with a draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
A last wicket partnership of 45 runs between Brydon Carse and Ben Raine ensured that Durham in their final red ball match of the season closed their second innings with a competitive total on the board.
When the pair came together Durham had a lead of 156 over their hosts, with around 30 overs still remaining in the contest. Carse’s eventual dismissal, for 31, meant that the target had jumped to 202 from 17 overs.
Notts, through the powerful hitting of Peter Trego and the deftness of Ben Duckett, gave it a go before agreeing to call off the chase on 82 for one, with only 7.4 overs left.
Trego twice cleared the ropes in hitting 34 from 22 balls and Duckett was unbeaten on 36 from 28.
Earlier, the visitors were eventually bowled out for 329 in their second innings, with Michael Jones top-scoring with 82. Samit Patel claimed four for 80 for Notts, with Trego taking three for 34.
Jones, a 22-year old Scottish international playing in only his fifth first-class fixture, defied Notts for 248 minutes in making his highest first-class score, staring in a fifty-run partnership with Chris Rushworth at the start of the day, with the nightwatchman eventually falling for 25.
Jones played a chanceless knock, hitting eight fours in his 224-ball stay before nicking Jake Ball behind soon after the second new ball had been taken.
Trego struck twice after lunch, getting David Bedingham lbw for 29 and then forcing Stuart Poynter to misjudge a leave that ricocheted back onto his stumps.
Carter had Gareth Harte caught at short leg by Haseeb Hameed for 34 before Coughlin nicked Patel behind.
Ned Eckersley only made eight but took 75 minutes out of the game, eventually falling to Patel after facing 73 deliveries.
Carse and Raine then played their punchy cameos to put any thoughts of a victory charge for Notts back on ice.
Requiring around 12 runs an over from the start Trego started as if it could be achieved, slog-sweeping Rushworth over the ropes before launching Raine even further.
The first six overs produced 66 runs, with Duckett helping himself to four boundaries but the fall of Trego’s wicket and the sight of nine Durham fielders hugging the boundary prompted the early finish.
Nottinghamshire take 16 points from the contest, propelling them up to fourth in the final North Group standings but their wait for a first red ball victory since June 2018 goes on.
Durham, with 13 points, sit at the foot of the table, having also finished with two defeats and three draws from their Bob Willis Trophy campaign.
Day 4 Reaction
Day 3 Report
Chris Rushworth claimed his 26thfive-wicket haul picking up seven wickets as Durham take a three-run lead going into Day 4 four against Nottinghamshire, before Sean Dickson scored his maiden first-class fifty for Durham.
Despite centuries from Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke, Nottinghamshire still have work to do if they are to end county cricket’s most unwanted record, the home side without a first-class victory since June 2018.
Durham closed on 131 for two in their second innings, an overall lead of just three runs, after the home county had been dismissed for 422, earlier in the day.
Duckett only added four runs to his overnight score before being dismissed for 150, with Clarke going on to contribute 133 as Nottinghamshire reached maximum batting points before being bowled out in 101 overs.
The hosts’ first innings advantage of 128 would have been significantly greater but for an heroic effort from Chris Rushworth, who took seven for 108.
Neither Duckett nor Clarke have experienced a single red ball victory between them in Nottinghamshire colours since moving from Northamptonshire – and Worcestershire – respectively.
Both though are finding their best form at this belated stage of the shortened season.
Duckett had done his best work on the second day and fell at the start of the third, shortly after reaching his 150 from 208 balls, with 23 fours.
His dismissal ended a stand of 195 with Clarke, reaching his 17th first-class hundred from 154 balls, with 13 boundaries.
Mullaney’s good fortune eventually ran out on 41 when he shouldered arms to Chris Rushworth and lost his off stump.
Samit Patel came and went cheaply, pinned lbw in his crease by Brydon Carse but Tom Moores was able to stick around with Clarke in a hard-hitting stand of 75.
The second new ball altered the complexion of the day as Nottinghamshire’s last five wickets went down for only 15 runs, in 3.5 overs.
Rushworth started the collapse, having Clarke caught at slip before dismissing Peter Trego in the same over to collect his 26thfive-wicket haul.
Ben Raine celebrated enthusiastically when he gained a positive lbw verdict against Moores, leaving Rushworth to quickly send back Matt Carter and Jake Ball.
Sean Dickson and Alex Lees put on 67 as Durham began their second innings, before Trego has Lees LBW for 27.
Dickson’s reaching a half century from 106 deliveries – his first since joining the club from Kent earlier in the summer.
He advanced to 56 and brought the scores level before being bowled by a beauty from Patel that turned sharply to clip the off peg.
Michael Jones, with a highest career score of 39 not out, will begin the final day alongside nightwatchman Rushworth, whose bowling exploits clearly weren’t enough for one day.
Day 3 Reaction
Day 2 Report
Chris Rushworth claimed his 500th first-class wicket for Durham, taking the two wickets to fall on Day 2 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge – becoming only the third bowler to reach 500 first class wickets for Durham.
A scintillating century from Nottinghamshire’s Ben Duckett was the highlight for the home side, the 25-year old remains unbeaten on 146 as Notts closed on 251 for two, with the left-hander adding an unbroken 186 for the third wicket with Joe Clarke, who will resume on 74 not out.
Despite three interruptions for rain and bad light Duckett played fluently throughout, square-cutting and driving imperiously to reach his 18th first class hundred from 153 balls, with 16 fours.
Durham’s first innings had ended on 294 during the morning session, with Zak Chappell taking four for 92 for the hosts.
Rushworth struck with just his sixth delivery of the match to break an in-form opening pairing in typical fashion. In Nottinghamshire’s previous fixture in this competition Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed put on 200 for the first wicket against Leicestershire.
This time, they failed to negotiate the opening over as Slater fell lbw to Rushworth without scoring. The left-handed opener had started the day as the leading scorer in the Bob Willis Trophy, with 425 runs, but has now been overtaken by Worcestershire’s Jake Libby.
Either side of lunch Duckett and Haseeb Hameed resurrected the Nottinghamshire innings with a stand of 65. The former England international wasn’t so fortunate on 21 when he was smartly taken at third slip by Paul Coughlin, becoming Rushworth’s 500th victim in the process.
Rushworth joins Simon Brown and Graham Onions as the only other bowlers to hit that milestone for the county.
An unwelcome mixture of light drizzle and bad light caused the second half of the afternoon session to be lost. Joe Clarke reaching his 50 from 82 deliveries, with seven fours.
By the time of the final stoppage, with nine overs still remaining, the two batsmen had established a new third wicket record partnership in meetings between the two counties.
Earlier, the home county had needed just 40 minutes to take the final two wickets in Durham’s first innings.
They had resumed on 275 for eight, with Brydon Carse and Ben Raine having already added 48 for the ninth wicket. They were subjected to a barrage of short-pitched bowling from Zak Chappell and Jake Ball but added 19 more runs before they were separated.
Carse nicked Chappell off to second slip for 41, leaving the fast bowler to celebrate figures of four for 92.
Without further addition, Raine drove uppishly at Ball and picked out Peter Trego at midwicket for 31, leaving Rushworth undefeated.
Day 2 reaction
A century partnership between Gareth Harte and Stuart Poynter was the highlight for Durham on the opening day of their Bob Willis Trophy match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Harte made 72 from 143 deliveries, with 10 fours, and Poynter scored 50 as the visitors reached 275 for eight after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Matt Carter took three for 43 for the hosts, with Zak Chappell returning figures of three for 75.
Chappell took the first three wickets to fall in the match, removing Sean Dickson for seven in his opening burst, pinning the former Kent batsman in his crease.
After switching ends, the pace bowler then struck twice more, reducing Durham to 33 for three. Scottish international Michael Jones edged low to Carter at first slip for zero.
Alex Lees battled his way to within 15 minutes of the lunch break but lost his wicket on 31, chasing a widish delivery from Jake Ball and nicking behind.
Harte tickled Chappell away for successive boundaries to fine leg to bring up his fifty from 89 balls as the fifth wicket partnership began to frustrate the home attack during the middle session.
His stand with Poynter had reached 101 when home skipper Steven Mullaney made the breakthrough, wobbling one past the defences of Harte to knock back his off stump.
Poynter’s half century came from 94 balls, with eight boundaries, but he failed to add to it as he edged Carter behind in the first over after tea.
Ned Eckersley and Paul Coughlin carried the score beyond 200 before both succumbed to Carter’s off spin. The Durham captain cut to backward point for 25 and former Notts man Coughlin popped one up into the hands of Hameed at short leg for 21.
With spin accounting for 40 of the first 90 overs Notts were able to take a second new ball at 5.05pm but were unable to make further inroads with it as Brydon Carse and Ben Raine survived until the close.
Carse pulled Carter for the only six of the day and is undefeated on 35, whilst his partner is unbeaten on 23. The pair have so far added 48 for the ninth wicket to leave the day on an equal footing.
Day 1 reaction