County Championship
Round 9
Durham v Gloucestershire
Preview
With just five games left after this one, Gloucestershire take on the
toughest challenge by far of the season, playing runaway leaders, Durham, at
the beautiful Chester-le-Street ground.
Although they are only thirty-five points away from the promotion places,
a gap that would close rapidly with a couple of wins, the fact that the team
immediately above, 8 points ahead, in 7th (Yorkshire) and
Derbyshire, 9 points behind, in 9th, both have a game in hand makes
the wooden spoon a far more immediate prospect than challenging at the top of
the table.
The side takes on Durham knowing that Marcus Harris, who has not been
needed yet by Australia, will not return after the Ashes as he has to return to
Australia for family reasons when the series ends.
Meanwhile, the injury crisis that has been a permanent feature of recent
seasons means a substantial change of personnel for this game.
Graeme van Buuren strained his side against Hampshire in the Blast and
so James Bracey will lead the team again. Tom Price, who has not looked fully
fit in the last two games, has some stiffness in the back: officially, he is
rested but, in practice the aim is to have him fully fit and available to play
the two games at Cheltenham. Ajeet Dale continues to have problems with his knee
and David Payne is still being nursed slowly back after his ankle surgery.
Finally, Joe Phillips returns to the 2nd XI. Bowlers, Dom
Goodman, and Paul van Meekeren are added to the squad, with Jack Taylor replacing
Graeme van Buuren.
Probably Paul van Meekeren and either Josh Shaw or Dom Goodman will be
the players to miss out. After the huge impact that Dom Goodman made in his debut,
in 2021, supporters will be interested to see how he goes after a very quiet
2022.
Durham are not without their problems either, having had to sign a sixth
bowler for the season (debut for Migael
Pretorius), although Matthew Potts is available, having been released by
England. If the New Ball attack can be seen off, the change bowlers are, as for
Gloucestershire, less experienced.
Day 1
With rain pushing in from the west, there was
every likelihood of a truncated day. James Bracey won the Toss and decided to
bat. The surprise was that both Josh Shaw and Dom Goodman played, with Jack
Taylor missing out. This put Zafar at 7 and left Gloucestershire with a very
long tail, starting (if the scorecard could be believed) with Zaman Ahktar, a
Championship debutant in the first fixture against Durham, at #8 – he may want
to frame that scorecard!
An opening attack of Matthew Potts and Ben
Raine is not to be despised. Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent faced it in bright
sunshine, on what looked like an excellent pitch with a very short boundary
towards the pavilion, knowing that they had to see off the New Ball and make
good use of the pitch. Briefly, Charlesworth looked in decent form, taking a
brace of fours from the last two balls of the third over. Chris Dent added another
in Raine’s next over, guiding the ball through Point. That made it 19-0 from 6
overs, just two of them off the bowling of Potts, but a promising start. However,
it did not last: Charlesworth tried to clip the first ball of the eighth over
off his legs and got a leading edge to Matt Parkinson at Mid-On: 23-1 and
Matthew Potts with the breakthrough. This brought Ollie Price in at 3. With a
long tail, a century and a fifty from the top three were high on the wish list,
particularly with Durham’s batting setting huge first innings totals all season.
Chris Dent hit a lovely boundary through Mid-wicket
but was lucky to survive next ball when his edge dropped just short of Slip.
However, the 50 came up in the seventeenth over, with the change bowlers now on,
although, in a sign of things to come, the sun had hidden behind some grey
clouds and the wind was picking up. Back came Ben Raine to break the
partnership and Chris Dent clipped the ball gently to leg, watching it race
away to the boundary. The batsman was probably not displeased to see a lot of
the bowling aimed at his legs and took full advantage.
Gloucestershire were making seemingly serene
progress to Lunch, the sun out again, Dent into the 40s and Price in the 20s, with
the former batting as well as he has all season. Debutant Migael Pretorius gave
Ollie Price a very wide one that he flung his bat at and could only edge
through to Second Slip. It was not a good shot to play with an over to the
break, ending a nice partnership of 66 that threatened to set the foundation
for a good total. 89-2 and a danger that the hard work could be undone unless someone
could bed-in for a big score. That will hopefully be Chris Dent, who hooked Ben
Raine for an easy single and saw the return throw pass under the ‘keeper’s gloves
and run for four byes to take him to 49*. 94-2 at the break.
On the return, Chris Dent wasted no time in
tucking the single square to get his fifty in 88 balls (5x4). Miles Hammond
then guided the ball through Third Man to score the boundary that brought up
the hundred. It’s an odd, psychological thing, but 101-2 always looks much
better than 94-2! Miles Hammond continued to go for his shots, as he has done
in recent games and flayed a slightly overpitched ball through the Covers for
another boundary. Chris Dent took his cue from that and hammered a hook to the
short boundary. By this time there was rain in Cardiff, Taunton, Worcester and,
naturally, at Blackpool, so you wondered how long it would be before it would
reach the far north. The gathering cloud, though, was not upsetting the
batsmen: another imperious drive through the Covers brough Miles Hammond
another boundary. 124-2 and sixteen runs had come from the last seven
legitimate deliveries. A couple of quiet overs and Miles Hammond took three boundaries
in a Pretorius over to reach 32 from 30 balls, looking in supreme form.
With the light getting distinctly gloomy, on
came Matt Parkinson to bowl his leggies with Durham needing a wicket and the
floodlights flickering on. It led to a bizarre shot with Chris Dent chipping
the ball over bowler into no man’s land for two as if playing a delicate pitching
wedge onto the green. Miles Hammond showed him how it is done by dancing down
the pitch twice for consecutive sixes: the first back over the bowler, the second
over Extra Cover. That brought up the 150 in the 41st over. After an
exchange of singles, a horrible leg-side full toss was sent through Mid-wicket
for the four to bring his 50 in 43 balls (8x4, 2x6) and take it up to eighteen
off the over. Watching so many shots, the Baz-word was coming to mind.
With the batsmen right on top, another hour like
this could have had Durham in dire straits. Unfortunately, Hammond went after
Parkinson again, did not get properly to the ball and Scott Borthwick dived and
hung on at Short Mid-wicket. Miles Hammond was unfortunate to fall to a superb catch,
but the whispers will be that, once again, he passed fifty but did not convert.
170-3 and thoughts of 350 or 400 receding. Even so, Chris Dent was batting
probably better than any time so far in the season. The 200 came up in the 52nd
over and it was a surprise when he departed three balls afterwards. Jaffa in
the channel from Potts, edged through to the ‘keeper and Dent out for 85:
200-4.
Grant Roelofsen was still there and, for the
second time in the day, a piece of enthusiastic fielding led to a five as the
batsmen took a quick single. The throw missed the stumps and the desperate
dives of two outfielders as it rocketed to the boundary. Thanks in part to
them, twenty-one had come from three overs and, again, a dangerous partnership
was forming: 36 from 37 balls. This time, though, it was the last two
recognised batsmen, and it was essential that it continued. Durham were starting
to get a little sloppy in the field with consecutive balls seeing first an
overthrow from a wild shy and then a bad misfield that allowed a push by Bracey
to go for extra runs. Durham had leaked a surprising number of runs from overthrows
and misfields throughout the day, which they could regret later. The 250, the
first batting point and the 50 partnership (from 56 balls) came up in the sixty-second
over. Could the batsmen push on? Matt Parkinson served up a filthy full toss, Roelofsen
missed a cross-batted swipe and was bowled: 256-5. Parkinson could not believe
his luck. Grant Roelofsen out for 42 (58 balls, 5x4). Again, a wicket to a poor
shot, just before an interval, with the batsmen right on top. 259-5 at Tea.
During Tea, the threatened rain arrived, and
the covers came on. About twenty minutes were lost.
No sooner had the players come back out when
James Bracey offered an expansive drive to Parkinson and was bowled through the
gate by a ball that turned considerably. 261-6. Bracey, 26 and only the bowlers
to come.
What had looked like an excellent pitch
earlier, started to show signs that it might behave less reliably. Zafar ducked
a short ball only to see it barely rise – not the first time that it had
happened – and the odd ball was turning now for the spinners. It was coming
down a matter of how many the tail could make, particularly with the New Ball
approaching. Josh Shaw has shown that he is capable with the bat but was in far
too high at #8 (Zaman Ahktar would still have the scorecard showing him at #8 as
a souvenir), although he and Zafar organised themselves capably, taking plenty
of singles and rotating the strike. Shaw even lobbed Parkinson back over the bowler’s
head much as Chris Dent had earlier, but more successfully, earning a boundary.
It had become dark again, light rain started to fall and that was the day that
was… 280-6. Five overs to the New Ball and twenty needed for the second batting
point that must be the absolute minimum that Gloucestershire want.
Day 2
What would Gloucestershire accept? There were
suggestions late on Day 1 that perhaps the pitch was not quite as perfect as we
thought. Could the tail add 50 more and perhaps get up to 330? Let’s put that
in context. So far this season, the Durham first innings totals have been:
376ao, 425-9d, 471-9d, 452-9d, 227, 445ao, 630ao
and 517-6d
So, maybe even 330 might not be enough… But,
for now, a fairly cloudy sky with a little blue, but some heavy showers
promised later in the day.
This season, games against Durham have been
Christians v Lions. Today, the show was at the Chester-le-Street Coliseum. And
Gloucestershire were given the role of the Christians. However, as Russell
Crowe showed in “Gladiator”, sometimes the underdog could escape with his skin
and, although it will be an uphill struggle over the last two days, a dogged
performance has avoided having a mountain to climb instead.
Things started well. Three boundaries for
Zafar off Carse’s first over of the day, including a superb uppercut. Then Josh
Shaw launched the first ball of Matt Parkinson’s second over for six over Long
On: that was the 300 and second batting point up in double quick time. It was
too good to last. Carse dropped one a bit short at Josh Shaw, who tried to help
it down to Fine Leg, but only managed to deflect the ball to the ‘keeper. 302-7.
Shaw 16. Carse then bounced Matt Taylor, who also nicked the ball to the ‘keeper.
Two in two and Carse on a hat trick. Zaman Ahktar avoided it, but nearly fell
in the same way as Josh Shaw to his second ball. Next ball, also short. Zaman
missed it. The ‘keeper missed it, and it flew through for four byes,
Gloucestershire were scoring at 4-an-over and
the game was advancing at a tremendous pace. The New Ball was taken immediately
by Carse, and the first ball with it castled Zafar, hitting middle and off.
Zafar 34, Gloucestershire 316-9. Dom Goodman survived one ball, missed the
second and was adjudged LBW. 316ao. From 256-4, the last 6 wickets had fallen
for 60. Not ideal.
Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw with the New Ball. And
the “blink and you’ll miss it” cricket continued. Seven runs for the first four
deliveries, including a cut for four by Michael Jones that just avoided Gulley.
However, Jones lasted just three balls of the second over as Josh Shaw fired in
a quick, straight one and got him LBW. 10-1 and we were just 9 balls into the
innings. Josh Shaw’s second over was less successful; it started 4 4 4 2 and
was typical of the opening exchanges. Leather was flying and Durham were
scoring at better than a run a ball. The 50 came up in the 10th over,
with Zaman Ahktar on to try to wrest back some control. Martin Emerson thought
that Gloucestershire had left some runs out there: with 85 overs still to come
in the day, everything suggested that Durham might be well ahead come the Close
today: it would prove to be a sound prediction.
Back came Josh Shaw for a second spell and,
this time, was less expensive. He also saw how Scott Borthwick tried to hit him
over the short pavilion boundary, miscued and Jack Taylor took a comfortable
catch on the boundary. 77-2 in the 17th over. Shaw with 2-25 from
5.3 overs and very nearly 3-25 from 5.4 as new batsman, David Bedingham, tried
a glance first ball and the close fielders all went up loudly for a catch.
Alex Lees reached his 50 (56 balls, 8x4) with
a single off Zafar and celebrated by taking a brace of boundaries later in the
over. Ten off Zafar’s first over and he must have been thinking something on
the lines of “here we go again”. It was a double change, with Dom Goodman
coming in at the other end and being greeted with the obligatory boundary. The
100 came up in the 22nd over with a single swept to Fine Leg off Zafar,
but you could say that, after a difficult start, Gloucestershire were wresting
back some control. With three balls left before Lunch, Dom Goodman dropped in a
short ball, David Bedingham hooked and watched the ball go straight to Matt
Taylor. 101-3 and Lunch, which must have tasted far better than the bowlers could
have hoped three quarters of an hour before.
For the super-optimists, Durham still need 65
to avoid the follow-on! Get Alex Lees quickly after Lunch and that 316ao may look
a long way away.
A wicket did fall
quickly, but it was Ollie Robinson, chipping a low catch back to Dom Goodman,
who did well to get down to it. 109-4, Robinson 7 and Dom Goodman with 2-14.
Although there was no more success for the bowlers,
they kept the lid on the scoring very successfully, with plenty of men on the
boundary to cut off the fours. Durham were forced to re-build and needed a
partnership. Alex Lees and Graham Clark were determined to provide one. Up came
the 150 in the 37th over and Durham slowly getting back on top but
scoring mainly in singles. Lees was the main problem and a boundary cracked
straight back down the ground, past Matt Taylor, brought up the 50 partnership
in 84 balls. The follow-on was, saved and ominously, Alex Lees was in the 90s
and looking in no difficulty. Up came Lees’ century with an imperious drive off
Zafar, from 120 balls with 13x4 and he took a boundary next ball too to celebrate.
After two centuries in the previous match against Leicestershire, this was his
third consecutive ton.
Suddenly, the floodgates were opening again. The
200 came up in the 47th over, the stand was closing on 100 and Gloucestershire
urgently needed a wicket. The century stand came up, followed by the Clark 50. 242-4
(Lees 137*, Clark 57*) from 55 overs at Tea and Gloucestershire’s promising
position just after Lunch had turned into an increasingly difficult one.
After Tea, the grinding-down of the bowlers continued.
Three consecutive boundaries from a Zaman Ahktar over took Lees to 150 from 163
balls but, mostly, it was taking singles as they wanted, with Durham looking at
a total well north of 450 with maximum batting points. It was a relief when,
finally, the rain arrived and, at 280-4, everyone retreated to the pavilion. The
happiest person on the pitch was, undoubtedly, Josh Shaw who had just been
tossed the ball and had marked out his run-up with the enthusiasm of a
condemned man walking to the gallows. The interruption was brief. The sun was
quickly back out and after the rope was dragged round, the covers went off and
just 4 overs were lost.
Ollie Price had been tried and, for once, had
left his Superman cape behind so, with the New Ball approaching, Ben
Charlesworth was called up to try his luck. It took him just five balls to
break the stand. Clark tried to thump him to the short boundary and picked out Chris
Dent perfectly at Mid-wicket. Another Durham batsman had given away his wicket
but, this time, with 82 to his name. 304-5, the partnership of 192 had
transformed the game and Alex Lees still there on 172* and threatening to take
the game away from Gloucestershire.
In came Brydon Carse. Ben Charlesworth dropped
short, and the batsman swivelled and swatted him away for six. That took the
scores level. In no time Carse had 16 from 13 balls and the lead was starting
to grow far too quickly for comfort. The 350 and third batting point came up in
the 78th over with a Lees six as his double century started to look
inevitable. A sign of the situation was Chris Dent coming on to bowl some very
gentle medium pace to hasten the New Ball. Lees treated him with respect but pushed
the single off him to bring up another 50 partnership.
On came Matt Taylor. Little could he imagine
that after an afternoon of toil, he would find himself immediately on a hattrick.
Out came the New Ball. His first ball was straight. Lees missed it and ran a
leg bye only to look up and see the raised finger. Alex Lees finally out for
195. A monumental innings and a second bowling point at last for the Shire.
Second ball, Ben Raine flashed, edged and James Bracey scooped up a low catch
that just barely reached him. Raine was very unhappy and, initially refused to
walk, but the scoreboard said 359-7 and he had to go. Suddenly, two New Ball
deliveries had changed the game. Hattrick ball. Two Slips the only close
fielders. Pretorius drove it through the Covers for four.
As you were! In no time Pretorius had 22 from
14 balls and Carse 34 from 36. The 400 was approaching like an express train. Again,
a wicket was needed urgently and almost came when Carse edged Matt Taylor
agonisingly close to Slip, but Ollie Price could not quite reach it. The 400
came up as Carse took advantage of his escape and went after Josh Shaw, slogging
a boundary and then a huge six from consecutive balls. After brief relief, the
bowlers were under the cosh… again: just the sixteen from the over. Carse’s 50
came up from 45 balls.
Martin Emerson was in raptures in the commentary
box. James Bracey probably did not share his enthusiasm. Up came the hundred
lead with more than three overs to the Close. Would Durham play for the Close?
No, they would not. Carse essayed a big drive off Dom Goodman and the stumps
were demolished off an inside edge. 432-8 and Gloucestershire just a wicket
from full bowling points.
433-8 at the Close with Carse on 60*. Gloucestershire
will want to knock over the #10 and 11 quickly in the morning to avoid the lead
getting any bigger.
Covers on, but only a short delay. 11:15
start. 4 overs lost. 100 to play. Bursts of bright sunshine at the start, but
some ominous clouds encroaching on the blue sky. Storm clouds threatening. It
was an omen.
The breech between the Division 2 haves and
have nots was all too visible yesterday. Both sides have an injury crisis but
Durham, with their resources, continue to be a powerhouse. It is great to see
them back where they belong after years of penury, but could Gloucestershire
stop the Durham juggernaut, or at least, slow its progress to the Division 2
title? What no one could have anticipated, after just eighteen wickets had
fallen in the first two days that Gloucestershire would be facing an imminent
innings defeat within half an hour of Lunch. That it was avoided was thanks to
Miles Hammond and Matt Taylor, but the game was still over with the best part
of four sessions to play.
And the day had begun so well.
Durham 117 ahead with Brydon Carse set on 60*
and the 5th batting point beckoning. Matt Taylor and Zaman Ahktar with
a still fairly new ball. It took just 18 deliveries for Gloucestershire to add
the third bowling point. Matt Taylor took his 200th First Class
wicket, bowling Brydon Carse comprehensively for 62 with the last ball of the
third over of the day. 437-9 and a good start for Gloucestershire. Meanwhile,
despite the bright sunshine, the sky was getting rapidly blacker, although the
heavy rain missed the ground passing just north. With plenty of time available,
Durham were content to take the singles and advance slowly on the 450 until
Matthew Potts cracked a boundary to take the score to 448 and, when Will
Goodman came on for Zaman Ahktar, Potts launched the ball through Mid-wicket to
bring up the fifth batting point. That, though, was that. The 450 up, Matthew
Potts tried a pull from Dom Goodman’s fifth ball and holed-out to Zafar on the
boundary.
453ao and career best figures of 4-73 for Dom
Goodman. 137 the lead. How many wickets would Gloucestershire lose in
knocking-off the deficit?
Out came Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent and
down came the rain before a ball could be bowled. Quickly, it turned into a
heavy shower and puddles formed on the covers so the umpires, sensibly, called
for an early lunch.
A quiet first over gave no hint of the mayhem
to come on a pitch livened-up by rain. It started in the second over. Matthew
Potts sent his second ball through Ben Charlesworth’s push and watched the
stumps explode. 1-1. Ollie Price missed another straight one and his Off Stump
cartwheeled: 7-2. Chris Dent survived twelve balls before Potts bowled him too:
10-3 and the possibility of an innings defeat before Tea staring the batsmen in
the face. It got worse… Grant Roelofsen hit a glorious straight drive for four.
Was this the start of a fightback? No, the next ball was edged to the ‘keeper,
who took the ball in front of 1st Slip: 24-4 and Potts on 4-17. It
could have been worse still. Miles Hammond was badly dropped at 1st Slip,
which would have made the score 24-5 in the nineth over. However, with change
bowlers having to come on in the end, batting got a little easier and the 50
came up in the eighteenth over with a No Ball.
Just as it seemed that the storm had been
weathered, Pretorius served up a ball in about 7th stump, Bracey drove,
edged and Ollie Robinson took a superb, low catch, just in front of 1st
Slip. 63-5 and any faint hope of taking the match into the last day had gone. James
Bracey had made 15. Miles Hammond almost followed him two balls later with a
Chinese Cut that just missed leg stump. However, he was still there, fighting,
on 27*.
With Tea just two minutes away, Matt
Parkinson bowled a full toss. Zafar went for it and top-edged the ball to
Mid-On. 93-6. 44 behind still. Hammond, who had been dropped on 6, 39*.
Now would be a great time for Josh Shaw’s
maiden First Class century. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Miles Hammond left
him to face the last three balls of a Carse over: two was enough, the second of
them being turned straight to Forward Square Leg. 98-7 and the fat lady warming
up.
Miles Hammond reached his fifth fifty of the
season from 82 balls out of 108-7. However desperate the situation, he was
going to hit the ball if there to hit. Matthew Potts served him up a leg side
short ball that was hooked imperiously over Square Leg for six. He followed it
with an imperious Cover Drive for four. At the other end Matt Parkinson had
five men around the bat for Matt Taylor. Two runs down to Deep Square Leg put
Gloucestershire ahead but, with 34 overs still to bat, the chances of the game
entering a fourth day were remote indeed. A boundary and a two for Matt Taylor
brought up the 150 and the 50 partnership, with Hammond now 73*. Matt Taylor
was proving a solid foil and, had they continued for another hour, something
might have been rescued from the wreckage of the innings. When Matt Taylor pulled
Ben Raine to Fine Leg and Alex Lees pouched the catch, he sank to his knees in
jubilation knowing that the last real obstacle to a Durham win had been removed.
160-8, the lead 24. Matt Taylor 22.
Miles Hammond moved into the eighties but did
not try to farm the strike. Often singles were taken early in the over, or even
last ball when Zaman Ahktar was on strike. The result was inevitable. Finally, Zaman
faced one ball too many and edged a bat-pad to Silly Point. 180-9, the lead 43.
Could Dom Goodman see Miles Hammond to his century? The answer was “no”. Hammond
tried to pull Carse for six and only managed to find Matt Parkinson on the
boundary to be last out for 86. Gloucestershire 188ao and just 52 needed to
win.
With so few runs to play with, even a triple
wicket maiden the first over would have been insufficient. As it was, Durham
proceeded to knock off the runs with a minimum of fuss, despite rotation of the
bowlers. In the end, it was Zafar who got the only breakthrough, dismissing
Alex Lees when he tried a paddle shot but, at 38-1 the match was long over by
then. Scott Borthwick swept Ollie Price for two to bring the scores level in
the twelfth over and finished the job with a single to Fine Leg. A nine wicket
win, and Gloucestershire well beaten.
If anyone harboured any delusions that a
couple of wins at Cheltenham could launch a rapid rise up the table, they must
have been dissipated now.
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