Smith’s on song to lift Durham

Will Smith has the experience of playing in four Specsavers County Championship-winning sides, but at Arundel yesterday he was cast in the role of match-saver as Durham replied to a huge Sussex score of 552.

This is a transitional Durham side and their target to avoid the follow-on, 403, looked improbable as they slid to 96-3 in the 36th over.

Sussex broke through in only the third over of the innings when Tom Latham fended a rising ball from Jofra Archer to Harry Finch in the slips.

Then, with the score on 43, Cameron Steel cut Danny Briggs to Archer at point for 20. Earlier, Steel had been removed from the attack after being noballed for his second delivery above waist height.

Graham Clark was third out when, attempting to pull, he had his off-stump knocked back by Luke Wells for 27.

But then the experienced pair of Smith, 35, who is in his second spell with the club, and Paul Collingwood, 42, pulled the innings round with a stand of 82 in 28 overs.

Collingwood, returning to the side after a calf injury, hit eight fours in his 81-ball 44 and played with confidence against the spin of Briggs and Wells.

He appeared a little surprised when he was given out lbw to one from Wells that hit him high on his front pad.

But Smith’s vigil continued and he had batted for four hours for his unbeaten 90 from 216 deliveries, with 10 fours, to get Durham halfway towards ensuring that Sussex bat again.