Durham and Worcestershire played out a draw on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash as 1,294 runs were scored and only 17 wickets fell over the course of the contest at Seat Unique Riverside
The Pears began the day 431 for six, still 211 behind the home side’s first innings total, and although Paul Coughlin made early inroads, a final-wicket stand from Gareth Roderick and Dillon Pennington of 69 saved the follow-on for the visitors.Worcestershire were eventually dismissed for 550, handing the hosts a lead of 92 to take into their second innings. However, with little time remaining, the North-East outfit batted out the game with an unbeaten century stand between Rachin Ravindra and Michael Jones before the two sides shook hands on a draw.The hosts claimed 14 points from their fifth stalemate of the campaign, while the Pears took 13, leaving Worcestershire once place above Durham in fourth in Division Two.Worcestershire resumed with Ed Barnard and Roderick with work to do to avoid the follow-on. Barnard scored early boundaries to find his rhythm at the start of the day, forcing a change in approach from the home side. Coughlin banged in the ball in short and prised out Barnard for 128 by taking a sharp return catch diving to his right.The right-armer earned his second wicket when Josh Baker fended a tame drive straight to Chris Rushworth at mid-on. Roderick was left in a desperate push to guide Worcestershire past the follow-on target of 493, but was running out of partners after Ben Gibbon was removed by Liam Trevaksis as Scott Borthwick took a good low catch at silly point.Even though the visitors were down to the final wicket and Durham took the extra half-hour before lunch, Roderick and Pennington safely steered the Pears past the follow-on, defying the hosts with a stand of fifty from 88 balls.The two reached a stand of 69 before Worcestershire’s mammoth 178.5 over innings came to an end with Jonathan Bushnell claiming his maiden first-class wicket as Pennington’s useful knock of 44 came to end, feathering an edge through to Ned Eckersley. The innings ended on a sour note for the hosts, who conceded a club-record 81 extras, beating the 78 against Warwickshire in 1994 in the infamous contest when Brian Lara notched his unbeaten 501.With a lead of 92, Durham openers Jones and Ravindra were composed and untroubled at the crease to accumulate a fifty partnership. There was time for Jones to notch his second score of over fifty in the campaign, taking the opening stand beyond 100 in the process before the two sides called time on the game.
DAY 3 DURHAM 642/7dec, WORCESTERSHIRE 431/6
Brett D’Oliveira and Ed Barnard scored centuries to bat Worcestershire back into their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Durham at Seat Unique Riverside.D’Oliveira and Barnard shared a stand worth 197 for the sixth wicket to defy the home side, who were forced to toil in the field claiming only three wickets from the 96 overs. The Worcestershire skipper fell shortly after reaching three figures, but Barnard remained unbeaten at the close on 116, although the Pears still trail Durham by 211 runs with four first-inning wickets remaining.Ben Raine was once again the pick of the Durham bowlers, striking twice on a placid pitch, but the North-East outfit’s hopes of securing their second Championship win of the season appear to be slim heading into the final day of the contest.Worcestershire resumed their innings on 140 for three, still 502 runs behind the hosts. Nightwatch Charlie Morris was the first man out as Raine notched his third wicket when Scott Borthwick claimed his second catch of the game at second slip. Haynes was undeterred at the other end and passed fifty for the fourth time this term with a sublime cover drive off Paul Coughlin.He and D’Oliveira worked the gaps in the field in their stand worth 61 for the fifth wicket before Liam Trevaskis made the breakthrough. Haynes’ 100% conversion rate in the 2022 campaign came to an end when he edged the left-arm spinner behind for 68, presenting the hosts with an opening into the Worcestershire lower order.However, visitors regained their footing with D’Oliveira and Barnard at the crease with a dominant stand for the sixth wicket. D’Oliveira was patient in his approach as he reached his half-century from 137 balls, while Barnard went about his business with a faster tempo, reaching his fifty with a sublime straight drive down the ground against Matt Salisbury. The Durham bowlers kept toiling, but chances were few and far between due to the flat wicket and impressive batting from the Worcestershire duo.Barnard and D’Oliveira passed Worcestershire’s highest partnership for the sixth wicket against Durham, surging through the 117 set by Steve Davies and David Wheeldon in 2009 at New Road. Both players were comfortable against both pace and spin, whittling down Durham’s advantage and securing four batting points in the process for the Pears.D’Oliveira’s grit was rewarded with his third century of the season from his 249th delivery, but he fell soon after reaching the milestone lbw to Raine, ending a partnership worth 197 with Barnard. Despite his achievement, the Worcestershire captain appeared frustrated after his dismissal, punching his bat before walking to pavillon.Barnard pressed on to his second hundred of 2022, and fourth in first-class cricket working Borthwick into the off-side to earn a deserved ovation from the crowd and team-mates on the Riverside balcony. He ended the day unbeaten alongside Gareth Roderick, although the visitors still need a further 61 to avoid the follow-on.
DAY 2 DURHAM 642/7 DECLARED vs WORCESTERSHIRE 140/3
Durham mustered their third-highest first-class total of 642 for seven to take control of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Worcestershire at Seat Unique Riverside.Rachin Ravindra continued his fine debut for the home side scoring his maiden first-class double hundred, notching 217 before he was finally dismissed for the second-highest score made by a Durham debutant. Paul Coughlin and Ben Raine also became centurions for the first time, sharing a record-breaking stand for Durham’s eighth wicket worth 213 to leave their side in a dominant position.Raine got the better of the visitors once more this time with the ball, claiming the wickets of Jake Libby and Azhar Ali to reduce Worcestershire to 140 for three at stumps, trailing Durham by 502 runs ahead of day three.Resuming on 178 not out, Ravindra wasted no time in pushing his score towards 200 with three early boundaries. The left-hander slipped through the gears and reached his double-century with a gentle nudge into the leg-side before saluting his new team-mates, becoming only the third Durham player to score over 200 on their debut. Jonathan Bushnell failed to kick on from his overnight score of 61, adding only five further runs before Dillon Pennington prised him out.Ben Gibbon was given rough ride by Ravindra after being dispatched for back-to-back boundaries down the ground, but he earned a semblance of revenge by removing the New Zealander, who was out in a tame manner caught behind from a leg glance for 217.The Worcestershire left-armer.completed a double-wicket maiden by sending Liam Trevaskis on his way before Ned Eckersley continued the procession, losing three wickets for four runs. Durham’s wobble threatened to prevent them from capitalising on a flat wicket.However, Raine and Coughlin allowed the hosts to regain their stranglehold of the contest, taking a defeat out of the question, with a record-breaking stand for the eighth wicket. Raine was first to pass fifty from 72 balls before Coughlin soon caught up with a flurry of boundaries, including two maximums over cow corner, for his first half-century of the campaign.The milestones kept coming for the hosts as Coughlin and Raine surpassed the 200-run mark for the eighth wicket before both men became first-class centurions for the first time. Coughlin had a straightforward path to three figures, nurdling a single into the leg-side to reach his ton from 117 balls. Raine followed in the same over, although his heart would have been in his mouth as his sweep off Libby just had enough elevation to beat mid-on to reach his maiden hundred.Durham declared on their third-highest first-class total and the pressure was on the visitors from the off as Chris Rushworth removed debutant Taylor Cornall from his second delivery with one that kept low. Libby survived an outside edge that travelled between the slips to deny Rushworth a second wicket, and the opener worked with Ali to see off the new ball with a partnership of 58.Raine continued his impressive day to break the stand as Libby edged to Scott Borthwick at second slip. Ali and Jack Haynes settled in on a flat wicket with another solid partnership worth 69 to edge the visitors towards the close, but Raine again was the man for the hosts as he returned after a stoppage for bad light and dismissed Ali for 45, inside edging onto his own stumps, to leave Durham in command.
DAY 1 DURHAM 375 FOR THREE vs Worcestershire
Rachin Ravindra produced a debut to remember for Durham, scoring a career-best 178 not out as the home side piled on the runs on day one against Worcestershire in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash.
The New Zealander was only signed by Durham for one match after Keegan Petersen’s premature departure, but certainly made an impression for the North-East outfit with a sublime unbeaten hundred, his fourth in first-class cricket.He became the first overseas player since Tom Latham to score a century on debut for Durham, sharing a mammoth stand of 230 with Scott Borthwick, who notched 96, for the second wicket. Ravindra was there at the close alongside Jonathan Bushnell, unbeaten on his debut on 61, with the hosts positioned on 375 for three after the first day at Seat Unique Riverside.Durham won the toss and opted to bat first, where Michael Jones and debutant Ravindra made a measured start against the new ball. Jones scored four boundaries to kick start his innings of 21, but he was ruffled by Charlie Morris’ fifth over before edging behind to Gareth Roderick.Borthwick joined Ravindra, and the two left-handers settled in for the morning session, offering the Worcestershire bowlers little encouragement. Ravindra brought up the fifty partnership for the second wicket with an elegant glance through the leg-side, and pushed the score past 100 at lunch to end a positive session for the home side.The New Zealander maintained his poise after the break and deployed the glance again to score his 10th boundary, bringing up his half-century from 103 deliveries. Borthwick was finding life just as simple as his new team-mate, registering his fifth fifty of the term working the ball down to the third-man boundary to reach the milestone.Durham put their foot on the accelerator courtesy of Ravindra, who continued to play with freedom against both pace and spin. The left-hander became the first Durham overseas player since his compatriot Latham in 2017 to score a century on debut, producing a sublime drive down the ground before raising the bat.Borthwick seemed destined to join Ravindra in reaching three figures, but he fell agonisingly short when he was pinned lbw for 96 by Josh Baker attempting a sweep. The Durham skipper’s disappointment was evident as he made a slow trudge off the pitch after failing to fully capitalise on a fine knock and good batting wicket. David Bedingham also failed to make an impression falling for only four, but Ravindra kept pushing on alongside Bushnell, who was making his first-class bow.Ravindra worked past his previous career best of 144 and notched his maiden score of 150 in 222 balls, remaining flawless in the middle. Bushnell continued a fine day for the home side by marking his debut with his maiden fifty, punching a cover drive off the back foot to the fence. And, there was time for the two players to reach the century partnership for the fifth wicket before the close, cementing a dominant position for the hosts.