Wobbly start for North at first innings
DURHAM rising star Jack Burnham led the Northumberland fightback on the first day of their opening championship match of the summer.
Northumberland were wobbling on 28-2 at Longton in reply to Staffordshire’s first-innings total of 350-7 from their 90 overs.
Spin duo Ollie McGee (3-128) and Scott Steel (3-83) had taken six of the home wickets to fall, John Coughlin taking the other.
Four home batsmen made halfcenturies, Peter Walshaw hitting five sixes in a hard-hitting 95 before he fell to Steel.
In reply North lost both openers cheaply, Jack Jessop for eight off the fifth ball and Matt Whaley for one more in the eight over.
England under-19 World Cup hero Burnham, playing again after a broken thumb, and James Thompson rescued the situation.
Burnham recorded the fifth halfcentury of the day to finish on 52, having struck 10 boundaries Thompson contributing 21 in an unbroken stand of 69.
That enabled a new-look Northumberland side with four debutants and a stand-in captain to recover to 97-2 from 23 overs.
Team manager Stuart Tiffin said: “We kept it tight in the first session after losing the toss, restricting Staffordshire to 115 from 42 overs.
“On a good pitch and with small boundaries that was a good effort, though we could only take the one wicket.
“Staffordshire consistently put partnerships together and with wickets in hand were able to score at a good rate.
“The game got away from us and 350 first up is a good score. To then lose two early wickets was a blow.
“However, we steadied the ship and Burnham has chipped in with a good 50, well supported by Thompson.”