MAIN: WE CAN STILL WIN IT
DURHAM BOWLER SAYS CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH DESPITE BEING BOWLED OUT FOR 166 BY NORTHANTS
Durham endured another disappointing day in the Specsavers County Championship at the Emirates Riverside yesterday.
But recalled bowler Gavin Main remains confident of a much-needed first win of the season.
Nathan Buck continued the excellent start to his Northamptonshire career by taking a career-best 6-34 as wickets tumbled in the Division Two match.
Injury-ravaged Durham, still on minus 24 points at the foot of the table, were dismissed for 166 but then had Northants rocking on 28-3 before Max Holden and Chesney Hughes steered them to 59-3 at the close, still 107 runs behind.
Main, 22, made only his second Championship appearance, three years after the first Main said: “I was in the squad at Swansea last week and it was three years to the day since I played at Trent Bridge.
“John Hastings came over the following week and I was out of the team. I have struggled with back problems since.
“Everyone was a bit down after the Glamorgan defeat, but we are an upbeat bunch and we still think we can get our first win in this game and get on a roll.”
It was inevitable that Northants would bowl when play began at 1.10pm following rain.
Heavy cloud persisted for most of the day, and the tinge of green in the pitch could hardly have been intended to suit a home attack missing five seamers.
Northants’ four seamers maintained a probing accuracy on a day when 13 wickets fell – nine of them to edged catches. The visitors had five slips in place at one stage.
The going was always tough, but the Durham opener s put on 30 before South African opener Stephen Cook’s disappointing form continued with an edge to second slip off Rory Kleinveldt.
Buck struck with his seventh ball, which lifted and left Keaton Jennings for a catch behind.
Buck bagged two of the three lbws and the only catch in front of the wicket completed his second successive five-for when extra bounce found the shoulder of McCarthy’s bat and the ball lobbed to mid-off.
With 24 overs to bat, Northants lost Rob Newton in the third over, when Coughlin’s pace produced a flying edge to first slip.
Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh were both strangled down the leg side off McCarthy, although Keogh’s was more of an authentic glance, brilliantly pouched by the diving Stuart Poynter.
Ex-Derbyshire man Hughes, given his chance by the absence of Ben Duckett and the concussed Richard Levi, looked as confident as any batsman in his unbeaten 16. Bad light ended play, with eight overs still to bowl, at 6.40pm.