Day 3: Durham 413ao & 107/3 beat Durham UCCE 327/9dec & 188
Callum Parkinson took six wickets to help fire Durham to victory over Durham UCCE in the Club’s final pre-season preparations ahead of next week’s Rothesay County Championship opener against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
His figures of six for 74 were the best of the match and were backed up by three wickets for George Drissell and one for Stanley McAlindon.
Wilf La Fontaine-Jackson provided the only real resistance for the University side, scoring 105 of their 188 runs as they struggled to cope with Callum Parkinson on day three.
The visitors resumed on 32 for nought but found themselves one down after four balls on day three, McAlindon removing James Weir.
Durham UCCE rallied, producing a 66-run stand with captain Josh Kelly scoring a defiant 14 from 62 balls alongside La Fontaine-Jackson before the hosts picked up a cluster of wickets.
Callum Parkinson struck twice in the 31st to remove both Kelly and Nikhil Gorantla lbw. George Drissell backed up his fellow spinner, taking wickets in back-to-back overs to reduce the visitors to 107 for five.
The off spinner then claimed his third, having Charlie Whipple caught by Colin Ackermann at slip. Parkinson then levelled with Drissell on three wickets, knocking the off stump of Drew Sylvester out of the ground.
Running out of partners, Wilf La Fontaine-Jackson went to his century from 152 balls when he struck his 13th four, celebrating to cheers from the balcony at Seat Unique Riverside.
Parkinson soon had him removed for 105, via a sharp catch from Will Alexander. The left-arm spinner then grabbed the final two wickets, bowling Oliver Stone and Angus Catto.
Defending 103, the visitors made a quick start as George Kemkers removed the off stump of Ben McKinney in the second over of the innings.
Emilio Gay joined Scott Borthwick at the crease and the pair dealt some lusty blows in their partnership of 81 from 88 deliveries.
Gay fell run out for 37 before Ollie Robinson also found himself back in the pavilion as the hosts were 94 for three.
Graham Clark came to the middle and finished off matters, clobbering two sixes with Borthwick left unbeaten on 48 at the non-strikers end as Durham claimed victory by seven wickets.
Day 2: Durham 413ao vs Durham UCCE 327/9dec & 32/0
Colin Ackermann’s unbeaten 157*, backed up by half-centuries from Emilio Gay and Ben Raine sees Durham have the better of day two against Durham UCCE.
On his return to the North East Ackermann looked untroubled throughout his knock, which lasted 186 balls and featured 22 boundaries.
He was ably supported by Emilio Gay who added 74 to his overnight score of four and Ben Raine who made a 42-ball 51 which saw him clatter six fours and a maximum.
Charlie Whipple added to his day one century with figures of 3-29 on day two as the remaining seven wickets were spread out in a much-rotated attack for the University side.
Resuming on 38 for one, Scott Borthwick and Gay played with tempo, bringing up their fifty partnership in just 58 balls.
Both played elegantly and had pushed the score to 82 when Oliver Armstrong’s delivery struck Borthwick on the back pad, falling for 39.
Gay’s half-century came from 78 deliveries and he had raced to 78 runs from 97 balls by the time lunch was called, with Ackermann alongside and the hosts on 167 for two.
Durham UCCE responded with two quick-fire wickets after lunch as Jamie Cairns squeezed a delivery under Gay’s bat, before Ollie Robinson was adjudged to be run out the following over.
Graham Clark combined with Ackermann for a brisk half-century stand before the Cumbrian was caught off Angus Catto’s bowling on 22.
Ackermann continued though, going to his century from 135 balls, hitting his second of four sixes over the leg side boundary, reaching three figures in style.
With Ben Raine alongside, the pair made haste of catching the visitors score, sharing a partnership of 96 in just 82 deliveries.
With the hosts in the ascendency by 10 runs shortly after tea, Durham UCCE picked up two wickets in an over through day one centurion Charlie Whipple. He had Raine caught at long-on before bowling Mitchell Killeen second ball.
Stanley McAlindon made 33 in a ninth wicket partnership worth 65, as the hosts were eventually dismissed for 413 with a lead of 86.
Wilf La Fontaine-Jackson and James Weir saw the visitors to the close without loss, ending the day on 32 with a deficit of 54.
Durham 38/1 v Durham UCCE 327/9dec
Mitch Killeen takes his maiden senior Durham five-for before Charlie Whipple century sees Durham University strike back, with the hosts trailing by 289 going into day two at Seat Unique Riverside.
The young seamer claimed figures of 5/30 in 12 overs as he continued his impressive form during pre-season.
Durham University responded though after reeling at 73/5. Ekansh Singh and Charlie Whipple rallied for the visitors, with a partnership of 156.
After the hosts chose to bowl first, Killeen struck immediately, trapping James Weir in front on the first ball of his spell.
Making his senior Durham debut, Will Alexander took his first wicket of the match when he forced opposition captain Josh Kelly into a thin edge to leave the visitors 23 for two.
After putting on 47 for the third wicket with Nikhil Gorantla, Wilf La Fontaine-Jackson became the first of three wickets in as many overs, George Drissell catching from close-range.
Gorantla saw his stay ended by a sharp Colin Ackermann catch in the slips off Callum Parkinson’s bowling before Killeen grabbed his third and the hosts’ fifth of the morning session, dislodging Freddie Fairey’s off stump.
But a resolute stand of 156 between Ekansh Singh and Charlie Whipple saw the University side recover from 73 for five and put the hosts under some pressure before Killeen took wickets in consecutive deliveries.
Kent Academy batter Singh was the second Durham UCCE player to see his off stump removed by Killeen, after forging a knock of 91 with 11 fours and three sixes.
The 20-year-old trapped Drew Sylvester lbw first ball, leaving him on the verge of a hattrick after claiming his maiden senior Durham five-for.
Whipple remained though, continuing to provide resistance for the visiting side and went on to reach three figures in 179 balls.
He went on to score 111, becoming Alexander’s second wicket of the day as Scott Borthwick and Ben McKinney combined to catch him in the deep.
The visitors added a further 20 before declaring, finalising their innings when Parkinson had Oliver Stone caught behind.
Borthwick and McKinney opened for Durham, the latter seeing his stay at the crease end prematurely as Stone found the gap between bat and pad to remove middle stump.
Borthwick managed to see Durham to the close alongside Emilio Gay as the hosts closed 38 for one.