Durham Match Thread 2020

[Durhamfootman]

The county championship is going from bad to worse

For once Durham put runs on the board. Batting first Diva, Smith and Stokes were all in the runs. From 220-2, Durham accumulated runs steadily to reach 434. Then it was the turn of Graham Onions, whose 6 wickets sank Somerset and they were only able to reach 270 all out and Durham immediately enforced the follow on. Somerset had things more their own way second time around and were able to reach 379 in their second innings, despite 4 wickets apiece for Onions and Davies. Needing 216 for victory, Durham were quickly reduced to 16-4 inside 5 overs. Stands of 88 from Smith and Blackwell and 57 from Blackwell and Mustard got Durham within sight of the winning post, but from 180-6 they quickly subsided to 189 all out.

Durham 434
Smith 114
DiVenuto 73
Stokes 60

Somerset 270
Onions 6-84

Somerset (fo) 379
Davies 4-83
Onions 4-93

Durham 189
Blackwell 109
Smith 40

Somerset win by 26 runs

[Durhamfootman]

Hard to know quite what to say, really

I blame the ECB!

[Durhamfootman]

Change bowling continues to be a problem.

Absolutely nobody seems able to take the wickets that Davies and Onions don't.

[Durhamfootman]

Div 1 table at 14th May

79 Sussex (5)
79 Nottinghamshire (5)
74 Somerset (5)
57 Hampshire (4)
53 Yorkshire (4)
42 Durham (5)
31 Worcestershire (4)
29 Warwickshire (4)
26 Lancashire (4)

[Durhamfootman]

Back in P40 action Durham welcomed the visit of Hampshire by handing them an easy win. Batting first, Durham just couldn't get going and eventually ground their way to a very poor 167 all out in 39 overs, with Dimi Mascarenhas taking 7-21. The curse of the ex player struck, as it invariably does; Neil McKensie batting through for a patient and un-hurried 90 as Hampshire reached their target of 168 for the loss of only 4 wickets with 3 overs to spare

Durham 167 all out
DiVenuto 44
Smith 37

Hampshire 168-4

Hampshire win by 6 wickets

[Durhamfootman]

Once again Durham bounced straight back in the latest P40 double header, by beating Scotland comfortably at the Grange. Mustard starred with the bat for Durham, scoring 73 in a total of 216-9. Scotland started brightly, despite Rushworth bowling miserly, as Plunkett and Collingwood went round the park in the power play. Once Rushworth made the breakthrough, the spin twins of Blackwell and Breese sparked panic in the Scotland middle order, leaving Plunkett the simple task of picking up the last 2 wickets for a simple win

Durham 216-9
Mustard 73

Scotland 154 all out
Blackwell 3-39
Breese 2-30

Durham win by 62 runs

[Durhamfootman]

P40 group B 16th May

6 Leicstershire (6)
6 Northamptonshire (3)
6 Durham (5)
4 Surrey (4)
4 Hampshire (3)
4 Warwickshire (5)
2 Scotland (6)

[Durhamfootman]

Next up..... a trip to New Road in the latest round of the championship

No rest for the wicked atm, as the matches for Durham continue to come thick and fast

[Durhamfootman]

Early season struggles in the championship, saw a very different side make the journey to New Road for the latest match in the campaign. Durham strengthened their batting by bringing in Muchall and Coetzer for the change bowlers, choosing instead to rely on Stokes and Collingwood to make up the overs rather than retain any of their mis-firing change seamers. Worcestershire won the toss and opted to bat first, exploiting the more part time nature of the Durham attack to score 390 all out, built around a fine 153 from Alex Kervezee, with Davies taking 5-70 off his 30 overs. Durham responded in confident style scoring 415 and taking maximum batting points for the first time this season after an assured 103 from Muchall backed up DiVenuto's earlier 93. As the cloud thickened, so Davies and Onions tore into the Worcestershire line up, bowling them out for 168 and a meagre lead of 143, with Davies returning match figures of 10-115. An opening stand of 84 set Durham well on the way to recording only their second win of the season

Worcestershire 390
Davies 5-70

Durham 415
Muchall 103
Divenuto 93
Collingwood 53
Stokes 53

Worcestershire 168
Davies 5-45
Onions 4- 63

Durham 144-4
Divenuto 44
Smith 32

Durham win by 6 wickets

[Durhamfootman]

CC div 1 table at 22nd May

101 Yorkshire (6)
88 Sussex (6)
85 Somerset (6)
82 Nottinghamshire (6)
66 Durham (6)
64 Hampshire (5)
62 Warwickshire (6)
46 Worcestershire (6)
32 Lancashire (5)

[Durhamfootman]

Durham batting and bowling at 22nd May

Runs
648 Smith av 54
537 Divenuto av 41.31
444 Stokes av 37
396 Benkenstein av 33
390 Blackwell av 32.5
368 Collingwood av 28.31

Wickets
47 Davies av 17.87
46 Onions av 23.43
11 Thorp av 41.91
9 Harmison av 37.78
8 Blackwell av 43.12

[Durhamfootman]

Straight back into action as Durham travel to Edgbaston for a P40 match followed by their return match in the CC and then a day later heading back home for the visit of bottom of the table Lancashire.

Tough old schedule this year..... no wonder Harmy is tired

[Arthur Crabtree]

Why isn't Davies injured?

[Durhamfootman]

Nobody knows

but thank goodness he isn't, or Durham would be down to one bowler and might end up having to recall Harmy

[Durhamfootman]

I think it's down to Durham's physio, Nigel Kent. I imagine Davies has been keeping well away from him, because once Wor Nige gets his hands on you, you can kiss your career goodbye

The only thing more likely to end any test ambitions a bowler might have faster than ending up on NIge's couch, is being sent to Loughborough to work on bowling actions with Kevin Shine