Result: Leicestershire (317/8; Javid 58; Harte 2/26, Wood 2/35) beat Durham (61 & 66; Abbas 5/29) by an innings & 194 runs
Durham were bowled out twice in just two sessions, registering their two lowest scores in first-class cricket as they collapsed to defeat on a truly extraordinary day’s Specsavers County Championship cricket against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.
The visitors were unable to cope with the bowling of Pakistan international seamer Mohammad Abbas, who took 5-43 in Durham’s first innings and 5-29 in the second, giving him match figures of 10-52.
With the strong wind behind him, moving the ball both ways and bowling with outstanding accuracy, Abbas proved all but unplayable & with fellow seamers Neil Dexter, Ben Mike and Gavin Griffiths all offering excellent support, Durham had no answers, their 20 wickets falling in just 52.3 overs.
The had started well for Durham, with Matt Salisbury quickly taking the two wickets needed to end Leicestershire’s first innings, knocking Griffiths’ off-stump out of the ground and then pinning Abbas leg before with a full delivery.
Thereafter, however, it was a day they will not be allowed to forget for the visitors on a pitch that, while offering the seamers a small amount of assistance, was very far from a minefield the scores might suggest.
Durham’s first innings saw Abbas quickly into his work, beating Cameron Steel twice before seaming his fourth delivery back into his pads to dismiss the opener leg before.
Gareth Harte edged a bouncing delivery to Dexter at second slip, and Graham Clark also went leg before to a ball that came back. Michael Richardson lost his off-stump to his second ball, and Paul Collingwood, making his last appearance away from Durham, edged his first ball to Colin Ackermann at second slip.
Stuart Poynter survived a leg before shout to the hat-trick ball, only to steer a Dexter delivery into the hands of Harry Dearden at point before he had scored. Dexter’ spell, up the slope and into the wind, was almost as remarkable as that being produced by Abbas: seven overs, six maidens, one wicket for one run.
Mike replaced Abbas and immediately bowled a fine delivery which trimmed Mark Wood’s off-bail, Alex Lees heaved at Griffiths and spooned a catch to square leg, and Salisbury and Barry McCarthy sparred away and edged catches to the wicket-keeper.
The procession continued in the second innings, Abbas seaming the ball back into the right-handers at pace and clattering the stumps time and again. Steel, Richardson, Collingwood and Rushworth were all bowled by Abbas while Clark, Harte and Poynter were all caught, with Mark Wood finishing unbeaten on 15.
Close, Day One: Leicestershire (317/8; Javid 58; Harte 2/26, Wood 2/35) vs Durham
Dropped catches proved expensive for Durham after the visitors chose to bowl first on the first day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.
Mark Wood returned for figures of 2/35 from 19 overs on his return to red ball cricket but Leicestershire took advantage of missed opportunities to reach 317/8 at the close.
Neil Dexter and Harry Dearden compiled a partnership of 77 for the fifth wicket in just 17 overs before Leicestershire’s lower order and tail took their score past 300.
Ateeq Javid & Sam Evans put together a partnership of 31 for Leicestershire’s first wicket before Evans was leg before to a delivery from Chris Rushworth which seamed back in to the young right-hander, after Paul Collingwood elected not to toss on his penultimate appearance.
With the bowlers struggling to cope with the strong southerly wind, Colin Ackermann hit Barry McCarthy for successive boundaries before the Ireland international had his revenge with a delivery that moved away just enough to find the edge.
Javid was dismissed shortly after reaching his half-century, his highest score for Leicestershire, leg before to a Rushworth delivery which seamed back, and though Mark Cosgrove showed signs of finding some sort of form in going to 37, he was also beaten on numerous occasions, particularly by Rushworth, before being bowled pushing across the line at a delivery from Salisbury.
Dexter’s good fortune enable he and Dearden to repair the innings before the former eventually went leg before on the front foot to Gareth Harte with the score on 216 shortly before tea, and when Dearden edged a loose drive at Mark Wood without further addition to the score, Durham might have hoped to have their opponents all out for around 260.
But Lewis Hill, in company with Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson and Gavin Griffiths, guided Leicestershire to a third batting bonus point, with Parkinson edging behind late in the day to become Wood’s second of the day.