Day three: Durham 2nd XI 368/7dec & 160/2dec vs Northamptonshire 241/6dec & 288/8
Jonathan Bushnell makes an unbeaten 71 as Durham Second XI set Northamptonshire 288 on the final day, falling to a hard-fought defeat at Darlington.
The final day began with Northamptonshire declaring 127 runs behind, attempting to set up a result. Durham made haste, bringing up 50 after 10 overs and 100 within 19, shortly after losing Ross Whitfield for 47.
Jonathan Bushnell brought up his half-century in 66 balls, before making his way to 71*, featuring nine fours and one six in 82 deliveries. Christian French made a quick-fire 29 as Durham made 160 for two before declaring, setting Northamptonshire 288 to win in 68 overs.
Will Gidman’s side picked up an early strike, Brandon Glover found Aum Raykar’s edge in the fourth over. After a partnership of 105, Kenzie Peakman picked up Durham’s second as K Patel feathered a leg-side bound delivery into Haydon Mustard’s gloves.
The visitors made their way to 138 for two by tea, requiring a further 150 with 38 overs remaining, Durham needing eight wickets. Arush Buchake and James Sales shared a speedy partnership of 75 either side of tea, taking them to 186.
Whitfield then struck, trapping Buchake in front whilst sweeping, claiming the first of three wickets in three overs. Jack Brassell then found Sales’ outside edge on 40 before Whitfield bowled the oncoming Aadi Sharma to reduce the visitors to 188 for five.
Charles Oldershaw and Jordan Strydom shared 48 for the sixth wicket to take the visitors within 52 of their target; a mix-up between the batters saw Strydom ran out for 33.
Oldershaw was stumped off Amaan Ul-Haq’s bowling before Freddie Heldreich edged Peakman to slip to set up a tense finish with the visitors needing a further 18 with two wickets left.
Samuel Keeling-Wright and Freddie Fowler were able to guide Northamptonshire over the line as they completed victory after 59 overs by two wickets.
Day two: Durham 2nd XI 368/7 dec vs Northamptonshire 241/6
Rain frustrates Durham Second XI on day two after taking six Northamptonshire wickets, still leading by 127 runs.
Jonathan Bushnell struck in the opening over of the day, finding the outside edge of Aum Raykar for 11. Northamptonshire put on a partnership of 74 for the second wicket, reaching 109 by the time Amaan Ul-Haq took Durham’s second.
Kenzie Peakman removed Arush Buchake for 66 just after the visitors made their way past 150. Durham struck twice quickly as Brandon Glover claimed his first to put an end to a fourth wicket stand worth 35 before Mitchell Killeen also took his first the following over.
Ul-Haq ended the fifth wicket stand on 44 as he combined with Haydon Mustard to have James Sales stumped for 62 just before the rain arrived in Darlington and forced the players off the field after 55 overs on day two.
Day one: Durham 2nd XI 368/7 dec vs Northamptonshire 35/0
Mitchell Killeen scores an unbeaten 112 for Durham Second XI as Will Gidman’s side enjoy a positive day one with the bat against Northamptonshire at Darlington.
After Stanley McAlindon won the toss for Durham and chose to bat first, Michael Jones and Jonathan Bushnell shared 44 for the opening wicket before Bushnell was struck on the back pad on 21.
Freddie Fowler had Jones caught for 28 as Northamptonshire began to collect regular wickets. Fowler took another before lunch with Ross Whitfield and Graham Clark falling cheaply as Will Gidman’s side ended the first session 90 for four.
Christian French and Haydon Mustard extended their partnership by a further 53 runs in the afternoon; Fowler had Mustard caught for his third to separate the pair to leave Durham 143 for five.
French went on to score his half-century in 108 deliveries with Mitchell Killeen alongside him. The pair combined for a stand worth 84 in just 104 deliveries as French made his way to 70 before Arafat Bhuiyan had him trapped in front.
Two overs later Killeen brought up his half-century, featuring eight fours and a six as he raised his bat on the penultimate ball before tea.
Bhuiyan took a third not long after as McAlindon chipped to Freddie Heldreich in the leg side on 10 with Durham one run shy of 250. Brandon Glover joined Killeen in the middle, and the pair recorded the day’s largest stand as they shared 119 in 20 overs.
Killeen brought up his century in the 84th over, driving down the ground for his seventeenth four of the day. Glover went on to make fifty too, launching Bhuiyan for six to bring up the milestone before the pair were called in.
Bushnell and Glover bowled four overs apiece as Durham looked to make a breakthrough late in the day but came to no avail, with the visitors trimming Durham’s lead by 35.