Warwickshire v Durham (County Championship) : Day Four

AFTER the elements conspired against Durham at Edgbaston on Saturday their frustrations were increased by having half a point deducted because their over-rate hadn't come up to the required 16 an hour.

This might seem trivial until it is recalled that they survived in division one by half a point last year, when they suffered the same deduction at the same stage of the season.

That was at home to Sussex, when they lost by an innings and didn't have the chance to rectify their slow over-rate by bowling for a second time.

Gareth Breese bowled one over in that match and when he was left out at Edgbaston last week the only two overs of spin were sent down by Will Smith.

Durham were aware of the problem, but as over-rate is decided over the whole match they were confident they could put it right. They didn't have the chance because the weather turned out to be worse than forecast on the final day, when only 24.3 overs were bowled.

Skipper Dale Benkenstein was reluctant to throw in the towel, not because he was on 93 but because Durham were only 26 short of a third batting point on 274 for six, and might well have gone on to pick up a fourth.

There was no play after 1.40, but after the umpires agreed to hang on until 4pm, when they were due to inspect the pitch again, another shower forced the abandonment.

Durham had added 60 runs for the loss of Garry Park, who took 25 minutes to add to his overnight seven and was then beaten by Dale Steyn's first delivery with the new ball before edging the third just wide of third slip.

Park greeted the first drops of rain by pulling Steyn to mid-wicket for four, but on 15 he tried to repeat the stroke and got a bottom edge into his stumps.

Benkenstein generally exuded his usual unflustered control, although he was beaten on 64 by one which went the other way from off-spinner Alex Loudon.

The captain also enjoyed a little luck when Heath Streak replaced Loudon with the new ball, edging just wide of third slip for four before an inside edge off the next ball flew just to the left of wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

But Benkenstein located the middle of the bat with two back-foot fours through the off side off Steyn to earn the second batting point, only for two showers to prompt an early lunch.

Play resumed at 1.30 but lasted only ten minutes before the heavens opened. It was intended to restart at 3pm, but in the mixture of sunshine and showers the latter prevailed.

It was of little consolation to Benkenstein to know that he has yet to be dismissed at Edgbaston, where he was unbeaten on 144 and 23 last season.

SCORECARD

Warwickshire v Durham at Edgbaston.

Overnight: Warwickshire 335 (K C Sangakkara
149, A G R Loudon 105; GOnions 8-101).
Durham 214-5 (D M Benkenstein 57 no).

Durham First Innings
D M Benkenstein not out 93
G T Park b Steyn 15
O D Gibson not out 14
Extras (b2 lb2 w1 nb8 pens 0) 13
Total 6 wkts (96.3 overs) 274
Fall: 1-21 2-80 3-82 4-159 5-195 6-236
Did Not Bat: M Davies, N Killeen, G Onions.
Total Bonus Pts: Warwickshire 5 Durham 5
Bowling: Steyn 21-1-85-3. Anyon 20.3-4-62-1. Streak
18-5-43-0. Maddy 8-3-19-1. Groenewald 15-6-
39-0. Trott 2-1-5-0. Loudon 12-2-17-1.
Warwickshire (9pts) drew with Durham (9pts)