Durham up against it as Prest piles on pressure
TOM Prest flaunted his significant talent with his second Vitality County Championship hundred as Hampshire and Durham’s Division One clash turned into a run-fest.
The 21-year-old expertly scored 102, to dovetail with Ali Orr’s day one century and Ben Brown’s 75th first-class fifty, to help Hampshire to 503.
Alex Lees led Durham’s response on a Utilita Bowl pitch which has displayed heavy spin in patches but has mostly been fun in the sun to bat on.
The opener scored 71 before departing in the penultimate over of the day, having teamed up with David Bedingham to put on a match-high 97 for the third wicket. Durham ended the day on 146 for three, 357 in arrears.
Prest furthered his reputation of being Hampshire’s most exciting homegrown batter since James Vince while showing his complete range.
He had enthusiastically reached his half-century on the first evening but was forced to bedded in with Ben Brown, as the visitors bowled accurately during the morning. The pair eventually added 72 together.
Prest’s overnight partner Liam Dawson was leg before in the third over of the day – having survived a caught behind appeal from Ben Raine the delivery before.
The former England under 19 captain cemented his place in the Hampshire side after a century against Essex in the penultimate match of last season, before an 85 against Lancashire last month proved the ton was no fluke. He never looked in any discomfort, not offering up a single chance as he strode his side to three batting points and a 161-ball century.
Prest guided to first slip two balls after reaching three figures to give Brydon Carse his first wicket of the season – having gone nought for 285 up until that point in 2024.
Brown, who passed fifty in 95 balls, and Felix Organ maintained Hampshire’s progress – with a clear intention to only have to bat once, especially with rain forecast tomorrow.
They put on 60 before a flurry of wickets ended the innings. Brown lost control of the bat and splattered onehanded to midwicket, Organ was run out by James Fuller’s lazy running, Kyle Abbott was bowled by a Callum Parkinson ripper before Fuller – after some exciting shot-making – lost his off stump.
Parkinson ended with an expensive four-for, with debutant Peter Siddle pilfering three. Hampshire reached 500 at home for the first time since 2019.
Vince called for his spinners as soon as the eighth and ninth overs and was quickly rewarded with turn for Dawson and Organ – the former seeing two loud lbw appeals turned down in his first over.
Organ was the first to strike when Scott Borthwick brought tea by misreading a full straight delivery to be bowled, and end a pacy 45-run stand with Lees. And then Colin Ackermann was plumb in front to Dawson. Lees batted himself out of danger of becoming a victim of the spin and variable bounce with a series of aggressive boundary shots.
But the spell of peril eased and Lees slipped back down the gears to reach 50 for the second time this year in exactly 100 balls, with Bedingham keeping him company.
He was adjudged leg-before to Dawson with the seventh from last ball of the day, with Hampshire the only side who could realistically win this game.
Durham bowler Peter Siddle said: “It is nice when you have long days in the field and hard toil to get a few wickets along the way so it was nice to get those.
“Today was a good day for us, especially with the ball. We needed to do a job and we restricted them as much as possible. We didn’t care how long it took as long as it took a bit of time out the game.
“We bowled beautifully and all the boys did some good shifts.
“Sometimes when you have the ball in your hand and not much is happening it is hard to keep trucking in but I think we all showed we could do that, build pressure and take wickets along the way.
“The follow-on is the first target for us. We have to get past that to be able to make decisions in the game. Tomorrow is about starting well.
“It showed in their innings, and even in ours, that once you get a little partnership going it is hard to break.
“There isn’t a hell of a lot of turn out there really. Every pitch has some loose cobbles, but those balls are the ones that could catch you. It is about playing smart and watching each ball.”