Durham take initiative in hunt for first win

DURHAM will hope there is as much cloud around this morning as there was yesterday to enable Chris Rushworth to complete the task of securing their first LV = County Championship win of the season.

He made a superb start when Lancashire, needing 340 to win at Chester-le- Street, had 15 overs to bat and closed on 41 for two after the swing bowler removed both openers lbw.

The one bowler who has not been injured this season, Rushworth has not enjoyed the best of luck recently and beat the Australian Usman Khawaja a couple of times before pinning Alex Davies in front with the first ball of the day’s final over.

Khawaja impressed with 86 in the first innings, when batting was at its easiest under blue skies on the second afternoon, and he remains unbeaten on ten.

That was the top score of the match until Scott Borthwick made 92 yesterday and he said: “It was tough going before lunch, when Kyle Hogg bowled magnificently.

“Paul Collingwood and I got stuck in and put together a good partnership. I was happy with the way I played, but it was massively frustrating to get out in the 90s. I was trying to clear long on but didn’t get enough on it.”

That fifth-wicket stand was worth 99 and steadied Durham after slipping to 62 for four with the ball jagging around.

The signs were ominous from the second over when Keaton Jennings edged Glen Chapple just wide of second slip for four. And in Chapple’s next over Mark Stoneman got a leading edge which flew between the bowler and mid on. Stoneman had made 14 of the 26 runs when a ball from Hogg left him sharply off the pitch and the edge was brilliantly caught one-handed low to his right by Paul Horton at first slip.

A similar ball from Chapple had Jennings caught at second slip by Ashwell Prince for 12 then Tom Smith struck twice in his third over on the way to a five-wicket haul.

He nipped one in to have Michael Richardson lbw and two balls later Ben Stokes shaped to turn a ball wide of leg stump to mid-wicket and got a leading edge straight back to the bowler.

Borthwick was on 45 out of 96 for four at lunch after mixing watchful defence with crisp drives and cuts. He continued to bat beautifully until he holed out off the leftarm spin of Simon Kerrigan, a possible future rival for an England place.

Having reached 50 off 92 balls, Borthwick was in full cry when Kerrigan came on and pulled his opening long hop in front of mid-wicket for six.

He was out when he went down the pitch and tried to clear long on, only to miscue to deep mid-wicket.

As Gordon Muchall settled in comfortably, Glen Chapple belied his 40 years by trying to bounce him out, placing two short legs and two men back for the miscued pull.

It didn’t look like troubling Muchall, but when Chapple made way for Smith he had Muchall caught behind for 15 then pinned Phil Mustard lbw four balls later.

When Smith went round the wicket and tried to bounce John Hastings the big Australian clobbered him just short of the rope in front of mid-wicket. Smith went back over the wicket and completed his haul when Collingwood tried to run him to third man and steered the ball straight to Prince at second slip to depart for 47 Hastings went on to make a very useful 40, but would not be happy with his bowling as he sent down six no balls in his first three overs.

He will be anxious to hit his stride today and help Durham to that much-needed win.

SCOREBOARD

At Emirates Durham ICG.

Overnight: Lancashire 266 (U T Khawaja
86). Durham 338 (P Couglin 85,
PMustard 70, M D Stoneman 51; K W
Hogg 6-70) and 16-0.

Durham Second Innings
M D Stoneman c Horton b Hogg ....... 14
K K Jennings c Prince b Chapple....... 12
S G Borthwick c Smith b Kerrigan.....92
M J Richardson lbw b Smith .................. 9
B A Stokes c & b Smith .......................... 0
P D Collingwood c Prince b Smith .... 47
G J Muchall c Buttler b Smith.............. 15
P Mustard lbw b Smith............................ 0
J W Hastings c Kerrigan b Hogg........40
P Couglin c Buttler b Hogg ................. 15
C Rushworth not out ............................. 10
Extras (lb7 nb6 pens 0)......13
Total (82.4 overs).............. 267
Fall: 1-26 2-36 3-62 4-62 5-161 6-193
7-193 8-214 9-251
Bowling: Hogg 18.4-6-49-3. Kabir Ali
9-0-56-0. Chapple 17-3-56-1. Smith 18-6-
42-5. Kerrigan 20-3-57-1.

Lancashire Second Innings Close
P J Horton lbw b Rushworth.................. 0
A L Davies lbw b Rushworth................ 18
U T Khawaja not out............................... 10
Extras (nb13 pens 0) .......... 13
Total 2 wkts (14.1 overs) .... 41
Fall: 1-0 2-41
To Bat: A G Prince, S J Croft, J C Buttler,
T C Smith, G Chapple, K W Hogg, Kabir
Ali, S C Kerrigan
Bowling: Rushworth 7.1-4-8-2. Hastings
5-1-27-0. Stokes 2-0-6-0.