CLARK KEEN TO CASH IN
DURHAM’S BID FOR VICTORY NICELY POISED AHEAD OF FINAL DAY
Durham batsman Graham Clark hopes to cash in even more on the lifeline he was handed by Glamorgan’s Marchant de Lange – and help his side build a potentially match-winning total.
Durham ended the third day 147 runs ahead with seven wickets remaining against the Welsh side after an unbroken stand between Clark and captain Paul Collingwood.
It had looked at one stage like Glamorgan would have to follow on but they got a first innings lead of 11 thanks to a career best 75 from Andrew Salter.
Clark, not out on 63 after being dropped by De Lange early on, thinks the game is nicely poised.
“I thought the first hour this morning we were really good and put Glamorgan under pressure,” he said. “But credit to them and their tail-end. They really put us under pressure and the momentum swung back to them to get themselves a little bit of a lead, which probably looked unlikely overnight. So credit to them.
“But we’ve had a good little period there to push the luck back in our favour so hopefully we can have a good day and things go well.”
On his stroke of fortune, he added: “It went up in the air and I thought ‘That’s my innings over and done with’ but luckily for me [de Lange] put it down, which you wouldn’t expect him to. Hopefully now I can take my chance and carry on.
“We’ll just bat on to start with. It’s been quite tricky in the mornings to get yourself back in so there won’t be a huge amount of pressure to score quickly.
“I’d imagine, after the first hour, we’ll have to see where we are and look at thinking how much we want to set Glamorgan and how much of a game we want to make of it and take it from there.
“It’s a fast-scoring ground so whatever Colly thinks we’ll have to try and get, and back our bowlers to do the job afterwards.”
Earlier, Salter brought up his fifty with a pull for six off Paul Coughlin and raced to 61 not out with a second consecutive and identical six as Glamorgan closed in on Durham’s first innings total. He was eventually dismissed for 75 as Glamorgan were all out for 353.