LEGEND COLLINGWOOD DENIED A FAIRYTALE END
MIDDLESEX BOWLERS COMPLETE BIG TURNAROUND BY BOWLING OUT DURHAM CHEAPLY
An inspired bowling performance from the Middlesex attack ruined Paul Collingwood’s Durham farewell as his side went down by 57 runs in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at the Emirates Riverside.
Collingwood said: “It was not quite the fairytale ending I was hoping for.
“It’s 23 years, I do feel a little bit sad. As I’ve said many times, it’s the right time.
“I’ve put all my efforts into it and everybody only has a certain shelf life. To be part of ths club for so many years ... playing with some great players and people that have helped me throughout the years.
“I just want to say thanks to everybody that has supported me and given me the opportunity to play for this club.
“I’m very satisfied and content with what I have achieved in the game. Hopefully the club will keep moving forward.
“Middlesex deserved their win in the end. The partnership between Stevie Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins got them ahead of the game and we weren’t quite good enough.
“It has been a really surreal week. All the good luck messages and thank you messages, it takes your breath away the reception you get from the crowd and my family, through social media on Twitter.
“Not the fairytale ending I was hoping for, but I can still have a smile on my face going into retirement putting all my effort into it.”
Dawid Malan’s Middlesex side added 100 runs to their total overnight total, despite losing a flurry of early wickets to take a lead of 166 - despite five wickets for Mark Wood.
Durham lost wickets at regular intervals in their reply as the Middlesex bowlers worked well as a unit to bowl the home side out for 109 to secure the victory, ending their season on a high note.
Collingwood’s final bow did not end in the victory the home side looked capable of producing on day one, but his effect on the county will not be easily forgotten.
The visitors began the day 255 for two, but were to immediately lose Nick Gubbins, who was only able to add one to his overnight score of 90 before falling lbw to Chris Rushworth.
The opener’s dismissal sparked a collapse of the middle order as Max Holden and Robbie White quickly followed him back to the pavilion, while Collingwood notched his second wicket of the innings when Malan clipped a delivery straight to Michael Richardson.
Martin Andersson and James Harris offered resistance to take Middlesex’s lead beyond the 100-run mark. However, their stand was ended when Harris was struck on the head by a bouncer from Barry McCarthy and was subsequently removed from the field as per concussion protocol.
After the restart, Wood clean bowled Anderson for a solid knock of 34 with the England man finding his rhythm from the Lumley End.
Wood cleaned up the tail to claim his second fivewicket haul of the season. His pace was too much for James Fuller to handle, returning a simple catch to the bowler, and he bowled Rayner before Murtagh was caught by Rushworth, wrapping up the Middlesex innings for 355 and a lead of 166.
Alex Lees made quick runs at the start of the innings, but his knock came to an end on 22 when he was adjudged lbw to Murtagh.
Gareth Harte and Richardson were unable to provide the resistance needed, both edging behind to White, before Collingwood’s final knock ended on just 10.
The pressure appeared to be getting to the home side, resulting in the suicidal run out of Ryan Davies.
Cameron Steelkept his cool though, playing a patient knock of 23 from 104 deliveries,before edging Ethan Bamber to Rayner at second slip.
Durham’s lower order collapsed as Wood and Matt Salisbury fell without troubling the scorers and Stuart Poynter was undone by the low bounce from a Murtagh delivery to put the visitors on the brink.
Fuller claimed the final wicket when Rushworth chipped into the deep and was caught by Gubbins.
Warwickshire secured the Division Two title by beating Kent by an innings and 34 runs inside three days at Edgbaston.
Kent will still join the Bears in the top tier next season but had to settle for runners-up spot after failing to deliver the fightback required after they were outclassed on the opening two days.
Day three followed a similar pattern as Kent, trailing by 213 on first innings, resumed on 38 for one in the second and were bowled out for 179.
It was powerhouse performance by the home side but Kent’s implosion for 167 and 179 in the match did nothing to assuage their supporters’ concerns about their batting line-up’s ability to handle life in Division One next year.
The only regret for the jubilant Warwickshire fans was that the innings win denied Jonathan Trott one more visit to the crease before retirement.
Instead, Trott received a huge ovation at the end as one of three players who ended their Warwickshire careers yesterday with Chris Wright and Keith Barker leaving to join Leicestershire and Hampshire respectively.