BORTHWICK LEADS THE WAY IN SAFETY PUSH
DURHAM NOW 14 POINTS CLEAR OF THE DROP ZONE, WITH A GAME IN HAND ON SOMERSET
Durham stood firm to secure a welcome draw in the Specsavers County Championship Division One match against Warwickshire yesterday.
A 151-run stand between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman ensured Durham were able to hold out for a draw which means they are 14 points clear of second-bottom Hampshire, with a game in hand.
Two clubs go down at the end of the season, and the five points from the draw will boost confidence in the Emirates Riverside ranks ahead of next week;’s vital clash at home to bottom club Nottinghamshire, starting on Wednesday.
Durham were only 10 runs behind with eight wickets standing when Stoneman fell for 80 and Borthwick went on to make 91 before he departed five balls before hands were shaken.
Rikki Clarke came on bowling off-spin and his first ball was so wide Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.
Durham were on 195-3, 21 ahead with 22 overs still available, when a draw was declared. Warwickshire took 11 points from the contest and Durham eight.
It was a welcome return to form for Borthwick, whose form slumped when he was widely reported to be on the verge of England selection.
Things looked ominous for Durham when, with 84 overs to bat, they lost Keaton Jennings for a duck in the fifth, when he pushed forward and edged Keith Barker behind.
But Borthwick was soon stroking Barker effortlessly through the covers, while Stoneman had made only one when he whipped Chris Wright over long leg for six.
Patel came on for the 14th over and conceded only seven runs in his first nine overs, going closest to a breakthrough when Stoneman missed an attempted cut on 45 and was almost bowled.
A repeat of the stroke brought the three runs which took him to 50 as nine runs came off Patel’s 10th over.
Both batsmen completed their half-centuries off 93 balls and continued neck and neck as Durham reached 1621 at tea, a deficit of only 12.
Stoneman was bowled by Patel without addition, but Jack Burnham survived to the close, unbeaten on 10.
Resuming on 344-7 in the morning, Warwickshire added 37 in 10 overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50, before declaring 174 ahead. Barker was undefeated on 43.
Warwickshire captain Ian Bell said: “We came in this morning excited about our opportunity considering the amount of movement there had been in the pitch.
“But it was not to be. This was a better day for batting, whereas yesterday would have been a good day to bowl.
“It seems to be a trend of the season that every time we get in a good position the weather gets in the way.”
Yorkshire kept up their bid to land the Division One title by comprehensively outgunning Notts at North Marine Road in Scarborough.
They trail leaders Middlesex by five points. Both sides have four games left.
Former Durham star John Hastings has joined Worcestershire for next season. The 30-year-old Australian all-rounder was at the Riverside in 2014 and 2015.