Durham are celebrating their first victory of the season after defeating Worcestershire by 185 runs with a day to spare in the Vitality County Championship encounter at Kidderminster.
Worcestershire were set a demanding 458 target, but any realistic hopes of victory were broken by Paul Coughlin’s initial three wicket burst.
Matthew Potts pressed home the advantage and, with half the side dismissed for 121 in only 28 overs, the contest was effectively decided despite late resistance from Nathan Smith and Matthew Waite.
Durham were convincing winners of the battle of last season’s two promoted sides.
Their attack of Ben Raine, Potts and Coughlin showed their quality throughout after a wash-out of the opening game versus Hampshire and playing on a batters paradise with a Kookaburra ball at Edgbaston.
For Worcestershire, it was a wake-up call after playing some excellent cricket in the opening two games against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire,
Their attack did not bowl with the same sustained accuracy as their opponents and of the batters only Jake Libby and Smith in both innings and Waite in the second suggested permanence for any lengthy periods of time.
Durham resumed on 319-5 and Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark plundered 78 off 13 overs to set up the declaration after 50 minutes play.
Robinson followed his first innings half century by pulling and straight driving Adam Finch for successive fours to reach a 65 ball fifty.
Clark reached the same milestone from 91 balls at which point captain Scott Borthwick declared to leave the home with an hour’s batting before lunch.
The fourth wicket partnership was worth an unbroken 132 in 28.1 overs.
Worcestershire openers Gareth Roderick and Libby began confidently but then two wickets fell in two balls in the final over before lunch.
Roderick was bowled off the inside edge by Coughlin and then Worcestershire Club Captain, Brett D’Oliveira, clipped the next delivery straight to mid wicket to complete a pair.
Rob Jones showed positive intent from the start and struck spinner Callum Parkinson for a huge straight six.
A straight drive for four by Worcestershire’s new signing off the same bowler brought up the 100 in 20.2 overs.
He raced to 39 from 23 balls but then provided Coughlin with a third wicket when caught at backward point.
Potts returned in place of Coughlin – after a spell of 6-3-14-3 – and immediately struck when Adam Hose pushed forward and was plumb lbw.
The procession of wickets continued as Jason Holder (4) was bowled through the gate by Potts who then had Adam Hose lbw.
Libby completed an 87 ball fifty but the next delivery ended his determined knock.
He tried to pull out of a hook shot against Raine but only succeeded in lobbing up a gentle catch to mid wicket.
Worcestershire were then 135-6 but resistance came from Smith and Waite during a stand of 103 in 30 overs – a new record for the County’s seventh wicket against Durham.
It surpassed the 101 by Ross Whiteley and Ben Cox at New Road five years ago.
Smith reached 50 off 87 balls before pushing forward to Raine and being bowled and, after Josh Baker was caught behind cutting at spinner Callum Parkinson, Waite went to his fifty from 110 deliveries.
Waite (62) was eventually strangled down the leg side to give Coughlin a fourth scalp and Parkinson accounted for Adam Finch to wrap up proceedings.
Day 2
Centurion David Bedingham and Scott Borthwick propelled Durham into a position of considerable strength to push for a first victory of the season in the battle of the two promoted teams in the Vitality County Championship at Chester Road.
Their bowlers went to work in the morning session and collected the final six Worcestershire wickets to establish a first innings lead of 60 on a wicket still offering some assistance to the seamers but with enough pace to encourage stroke-play.
Then Bedingham, in particular, and Durham captain Borthwick went to town during a third wicket partnership of 195 in just 34 overs.
Bedingham continued the form he had shown after making his Test breakthrough for South Africa in the winter with 56 on his debut against India and scores of 39, 110, 32 and 87 versus New Zealand.
His second fifty required just 24 balls as he races to three figures off 79 deliveries with five sixes and 11 fours.
By the close Durham had extended their overall advantage to 379.
For the Durham attack, it was a welcome return to conditions offering some assistance after the graveyard at Edgbaston where Warwickshire amassed 698-3 with the Kookaburra ball and a short boundary.
Ben Raine and Matthew Potts had combined figures of 0-206 on that occasion but showed their quality as Worcestershire conceded a first innings lead of 64.
Jake Libby was again the main contributor to Worcestershire’s modest total with a composed 61.
He has amassed 400 runs at an average of 100 in the last four Championship matches spanning the end of last season and the start of 2024.
But the quick scoring by Bedingham and Borthwick in the final session means Worcestershire are facing a daunting target on Sunday to avoid a first setback of the season.
Worcestershire resumed on 78 for four and much responsibility rested on the shoulders of Jake Libby and Jason Holder if they were to get within touching distance of Durham’s total.
Holder did the bulk of the early scoring, cover driving Ben Raine and Matthew Potts for boundaries, and then pulling the former for a big six over mid-wicket.
But Raine had his revenge and struck in successive overs to put the visitors in the ascendancy.
Holder was bowled after pushing forward and then Matthew Waite had not troubled the scorers when he nibbled at a delivery and was caught behind.
Libby completed an accomplished half century off 101 balls with seven fours.
New batter Nathan Smith survived a chance at first slip off Paul Coughlin when on 11.
Libby’s determined knocked ended on 61 after a rare misjudgement when he shouldered arms and was bowled by Coughlin.
Josh Baker tried to duck out of the way of a de Leede bouncer but the ball rebounded off his helmet onto his stumps.
Joe Leach departed to a superb one handed catch by Bedingham away to his right at mid wicket off Potts who wrapped up the innings when Adam Finch was lbw aiming to leg.Smith was left unbeaten on 33 and then made the first breakthrough with the ball when Durham began batting for a second time after lunch.
Alex Lees (94) played back and only succeeded in steering Smith to Holder at second slip.
Leach swapped to the Railway End after an initial four over burst and disposed of Colin Ackermann (18) who nicked through to Gareth Roderick.
But Durham captain Borthwick and Bedingham settled in and experienced few alarms in building towards a substantial lead.
Bedingham was the more fluent, scoring at around a run a ball for long periods, but it was Borthwick who was first to his half century off 89 balls with five boundaries.
Two straight sixes in quick succession by Bedingham off Leach helped him to complete a 55 ball fifty and he accelerated to three figures with spinner Josh Baker conceding successive maximums.
It needed a run out to end the partnership when Borthwick (75 off 143 balls) failed to beat Nathan Smith’s throw to the non striker’s end from deep mid wicket attempting a second run.
Paul Coughlin (7) feathered Finch through to Roderick attempting a square cut.
Bedingham’s superb knock eventually ended on 138 when he sliced Smith on the off side and Adam Hose took an excellent catch on the cover boundary.
Day 1 Durham 244/10 lead Worcestershire 78/4 by 166.
Ollie Robinson spearheaded a powerful Durham response with the bat after Jason Holder had threatened to place Worcestershire in a position of strength on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Durham at Chester Road.
Robinson was responsible for a partial recovery after Durham had subsided to 141-7 mid-way through the afternoon session.
Former West Indies captain Holder, who is available for the opening five Championship matches, had bowled an inspired spell of 8-2-26-3 to remove David Bedingham, Graham Clark and Paul Coughlin post lunch
But Robinson went on the offensive to such an extent that his half century came up in only 41 balls with three sixes and five fours.
Ben Raine and Matthew Potts provided useful lower order support and then made early inroads with the ball but Jake Libby dug in for an unbeaten 35.
Worcestershire were back playing first class cricket at Chester Road for the first time in four years because of the series of eight floods which have engulfed New Road this winter.
At least the first two home Championship matches after Worcestershire’s promotion with Durham from Division Two are being staged at Kidderminster.
Ground-staff hoping for a dry spring to enhance hopes of playing the third home match against Nottinghamshire – beginning at May 24 – at the County’s headquarters.
Both sides were forced into changes because of injury setbacks. Worcestershire’s in form batter Kashif Ali was ruled out with a back injury suffered during training.
Durham pace bowler, Scott Boland, suffered a foot injury during the drawn game with Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Brydon Carse was also unavailable due to his match play management schedule.
Play got underway half an hour late and Durham captain Scott Borthwick opted to bat on his 34th birthday as the Dukes ball returned to the bowlers armoury.
But it was not a happy birthday for Borthwick as the home side struck two early blows.
Borthwick had failed to trouble the scorers when a delivery in the first over from Joe Leach beat his outside edge and hit the top of off stump.
It became 19 for two when Alex Lees (six) pushed forward to Nathan Smith and fell to a low catch by Holder away to his right at second slip.
Colin Ackermann had an escape on 18 when he flicked Holder off his legs and saw the chance put down at mid wicket.
The third wicket pair of Ackermann and David Bedingham had to fight hard for runs although the latter greeted Matthew Waite’s entrance into the attack with successive cover drives for four.
Durham reached 89-2 at lunch but Holder switched to the pavilion end and struck in the first over after lunch.
Bedingham on 38 went to cut the former West Indies captain but only succeeded in chopping onto his stumps.
Leach bowled a probing post lunch spell and was rewarded when Ackermann (47) went lbw to a delivery angled back in.
Holder was constantly asking questions and struck again when Graham Clark was lbw working to leg.
Adam Finch replaced Leach and immediately tasted some success as Bas de Leede played a similar shot and perished in the same fashion.
Robinson decided attack was the best policy and received excellent support from Ben Raine during a stand of 61 in 8.4 overs.
The England Lions player struck Waite for two straight sixes in an over and raced to his half century from 41 balls.
But Waite had the final say when Robinson (55) pushed forward and keeper Gareth Roderick held onto a low catch.
Finch wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls as Raine top edged a pull through to Roderick and Callum Parkinson missed a full toss and was lbw.
But Worcestershire quickly ran into trouble against the new ball attack of Raine and Matthew Potts.
Raine had Roderick caught behind and Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira offered no shot and was bowled by Potts.
Jake Libby and Rob Jones initially dug in but then started to reel off a series of fine strokes.
The stand was worth 60 when Jones (32) pushed forward to Coughlin and was lbw and then Adam Hose (5) chopped the same bowler onto his stumps.