GARY Pratt needs 11 runs from Durham's final match of the season against Glamorgan, starting at Riverside today, to complete 1,000 first-class runs for the season, writes TIM WELLOCK.
The 21-year-old left-hander has scored 883 in 29 championship innings and 106 in two innings against Durham University and India A.
Pratt was Durham's leading run-scorer last season with 746 runs in 27 first-class innings, but this time he has been upstaged by the only other ever-present, Jon Lewis.
The skipper passed 1,000 some time ago and currently has 1,104 in the championship plus 84 in other first-class innings. But there are no other Durham batsmen within sight of the landmark, which is why they are no longer challenging for promotion. With five victories Durham have won a game more than Yorkshire, who can still go up, but have 19 fewer batting points.
The next highest scorer is Martin Love with 774 from only 11 innings, which gives him an average of 70.36 thanks to his 273 against Hampshire.
Other than that there have been only four championship centuries - one each by Lewis, Pratt, Vince Wells and Nicky Peng. Gordon Muchall scored hundreds against Durham University and India A.
The fact that Nicky Phillips is level with Shoaib Akhtar on 30 as the leading wicket-taker in the championship reflects the fact that Durham have never had a settled attack.
Phillips' wickets have come at 40 apiece, whereas Shoaib averages 15.9.
The Pakistani missed the eight-wicket defeat at Cardiff, and Durham will be hoping he can avenge the destruction caused in that match by Michael Kasprowicz's nine for 36 in the second innings.
Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), G J Muchall, M L Love, P D Collingwood, G J Pratt, N Peng, V J Wells, P Mustard, G D Bridge, Shoaib Akhtar, L Plunkett, N Killeen, A M Davies
Glamorgan (from): J Maher, M Wallace, A Dale, M J Powell, M P Maynard, D L Hemp, R D B Croft (capt), D Harrison, D A Cosker, D A Thomas, I J Thomas
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