Gibson steers Durham to within reach of victory

IT WILL be a travesty for Ottis Gibson if Durham fail to topple championship leaders Yorkshire at Riverside today.

After scoring 71 in the morning, Gibson completed a ten-wicket match haul when he snared Jacques Rudolph 21 runs short of his second century of the match.

But he was denied further success as Jason Gillespie and Deon Kruis survived the last nine overs and Yorkshire closed on 218 for nine, 130 ahead.

Paul Wiseman could hardly have chosen a more opportune time to end Durham's long wait for their first championship wicket of the season with spin.

Another famine was threatening to turn into a feast as Anthony McGrath's lean run in the championship ended with a swift 62 after Yorkshire had slumped to 17 for three in their second innings.

At that point they were still 71 behind, but aggressive batting had put them 11 runs ahead when Wiseman had McGrath caught at short leg by Kyle Coetzer to end a stand of 87 in 22 overs with Rudolph.

Much more of that would have seen an enthralling, roller-coaster game tip in Yorkshire's favour after they had been in danger of a three-day defeat in early afternoon.

McGrath had hit 11 fours in his 86-ball innings when Wiseman removed him just before tea and when Gibson returned on the resumption he immediately had Adil Rashid smartly taken at second slip by Michael Di Venuto.

In the next over Tim Bresnan was beaten for pace as he became the third batsman to be bowled by Graham Onions and at 116 for six with 30 overs left Yorkshire were still facing an unwanted day off today.

But the general trend of batting becoming easier as the ball loses its hardness continued and Simon Guy played confidently to contribute 28 to a stand of 60.

Gibson returned again with the score on 198 for seven and settled the man-of-the-match battle when he persuaded Rudolph to steer a catch to first slip.

In the next over Darren Gough edged a drive to second slip to become Onions' fourth victim, but the last-wicket pair ensured that Durham will have a few jittery moments to survive today.

In the morning Gibson continued what could be the game of his life by making 71 off 74 balls as Durham totalled 481.

He then had the obdurate left-hander, Joe Sayers, caught behind and either side of that Onions bowled Craig White and Younus Khan.

Facing a deficit of 88, the third ball of the innings nipped back off the seam to expose some suspect footwork from White and knock out his leg stump.

Younus surprisingly chose to offer no stroke to a similar ball which rattled his off stump, but the fourth-wicket pair chose to meet fire with fire and 44 runs came off the next five overs.

Durham's total was a tribute to their resilience right down the order after they lost overnight pair Dale Benkenstein and Phil Mustard in the opening half hour.

There is an area just short of a length at both ends which offers steep bounce and Yorkshire had not exploited it as well as they might as Durham recovered from 17 for two to 293 for four on Thursday.

But only 11 had been added yesterday - five of them were extras - when Gillespie produced a brute of a ball, forcing Mustard to glove a leg-side catch to Guy.

It was the seventh over before Benkenstein added to his 64 with a boundary to third man, where the absence of a fielder cost Yorkshire dear.

But two balls later the captain shaped to drive a ball from Gough which swung in slightly to hit off stump.

At 322 for six with Wiseman coming to the crease Durham were still 71 behind, but with a combined age of 75 the experience of the seventh-wicket pair proved invaluable.

They dealt competently with anything which reared, while Gibson appeared to resolve that anything pitched up would feel the full force of his blade.

On 20 he picked up Gough high over mid-wicket for a big six and the fourth batting point was in the bag by the time the Yorkshire captain summoned Bresnan and Kruis into the attack.

Kruis posted a long-on when bowling to Gibson, but still left third man vacant and an edged four took the Barbadian to 46 before he was beaten by away swing.

Well as Durham batted, the fact that there was some lateral movement, as well as disconcerting bounce, confirmed that the Yorkshire bowlers had not performed like champions.

They were fortunate to end the stand of 66 when an authentic leg glance by Wiseman went too fine and was taken by Guy to give Kruis his first championship wicket of the season.

Mark Davies was on two when he edged Kruis between the wicketkeeper and first slip to bring up the 400. It is the first time Durham have earned maximum batting points from two successive home matches.

Gibson swept Rashid over mid-wicket for his second six and had also hit nine fours when he drove well wide of off stump at Bresnan and edged to Guy.

Onions set about Rashid to score 21 off 13 balls before Bresnan had him lbw in the final over before lunch, after which Davies and Mitch Claydon put on 33 before Gough had Davies lbw for 21.

Rashid was left without a wicket for the first time in 18 innings in his championship career.

SCORECARD

Durham v Yorkshire at Riverside.

Overnight: Yorkshire 393 (J A Rudolph 111, C
White 64; O D Gibson7-81). Durham 293-4 (K J
Coetzer 91, D M Benkenstein 64 no, P Mustard
53 no).

Durham First Innings
D M Benkenstein b Gough 68
P Mustard c Guy b Gillespie 59
O D Gibson c Guy b Bresnan 71
P J Wiseman c Guy b Kruis 27
M Davies lbw b Gough 21
G Onions lbw b Bresnan 21
M E Claydon not out 14
Extras (b3 lb22 nb14 pens 5) 44
Total (126.5 overs) 481
Fall: 1-17 2-17 3-83 4-214 5-304 6-322 7-390 8-
426 9-448
Bowling: Gough 20.5-5-76-3. Gillespie 25-6-73-
3. Bresnan 30-6-94-2. Kruis 19-4-85-1. A Rashid
24-4-90-0. McGrath 8-1-33-1.

Yorkshire Second Innings
C White b Onions 0
J J Sayers c Mustard b Gibson 3
A McGrath c K J Coetzer b Wiseman 62
Younus Khan b Onions 5
J A Rudolph c Benkenstein b Gibson 79
A Rashid c Di Venuto b Gibson 0
T T Bresnan b Onions 0
S M Guy c Mustard b Claydon 28
J N Gillespie not out 23
D Gough c Di Venuto b Onions 0
G J Kruis not out 7
Extras (lb7 nb4 pens 0) 11
Total 9 wkts (59 overs) 218
Fall: 1-0 2-6 3-17 4-104 5-107 6-116 7-176 8-
199 9-200
Bonus Pts: Durham 8 Yorkshire 7
Bowling: Onions 15-3-53-4. Gibson 15-1-63-3.
Claydon 11-0-45-1. Davies 14-3-49-0. Wiseman
4-3-1-1.