COLLY LEADS THE WAY
VETERAN SKIPPER DEFIANT AS DURHAM RESTRICT GLOUCESTERSHIRE ON OPENING DAY
Paul Collingwood led from the front as Durham restricted Gloucestershire to 266-7 before bad light ended play 19 overs early on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Bristol.
Approaching his 41st birthday next month, the visiting captain transformed the morning session by taking two wickets with his medium pace after the hosts had reached 97-1 and then claimed three slip catches.
Chris Rushworth and Keaton Jennings weighed in with two wickets apiece.
Chris Dent (59), Will Tavare (61), Phil Mustard (38) and Jack Taylor (41 not out) all batted well for Gloucestershire, who could feel satisfied with their efforts after Collingwood exercised his right to field first without a toss.
The day began with overcast conditions and the hosts looked to be facing a stiff test when Cameron Bancroft, who never looked comfortable, was bowled by a delivery from Rushworth that appeared to keep a bit low.
Soon the sun broke through and batting became more straightforward. Dent and Tavare put together a second-wicket stand of 83 with few alarms.
But Collingwood changed the game. Having had Dent dropped twice in his second over, the former England all-rounder forced the left-hander to feather a catch through to keeper Stuart Poynton in his third. Dent had faced 85 balls and hit nine fours.
In the same over, Collingwood pinned Graeme van Buuren lbw for a duck and, without making best use of the new ball, Durham had their opponents 97-3.
The afternoon began well for Gloucestershire, with Tavare and George Hankins taking the total to 156 before Hankins (27) hung his bat out to a shortish delivery from Brydon Carse and edged to Collingwood at first slip.
Tavare moved to his halfcentury off 121 balls, with five fours, and was doing an excellent job anchoring the innings until he was caught behind, rocking back to try and leave a ball from Rushworth.
Sunderland-born Mustard looked in good nick against his former club and produced some fine strokes. It was a surprise when he pushed forward to Jennings and edged a simple catch to Collingwood, having struck seven boundaries.
That was the final ball of Jennings’ third over. He was on a hat-trick when with the first delivery of his fourth he induced another edge to Collingwood, this time to dismiss Craig Miles for a duck.
But the conditions became too murky and an early finish followed. Taylor was unbeaten, having shared a stand of 64 with Mustard, playing with typical flourish.