Promotion dream dies with defeat
DURHAM lasted just eight overs before falling to a disappointing 169-run defeat at Northamptonshire which has ended their hopes of promotion to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship.
Victory, Northants’ fifth of the season, moves them to second in the Division Two table with a game remaining.
With Sussex losing at Derbyshire, Northants will be promoted if Leicestershire can deny Glamorgan victory in Cardiff.
Even if Glamorgan win, Northants will only need four points from their final match at Bristol to be mathematically certain of a return to Division One for the first time since 2014.
The home side looked to be wrapping up victory inside three days when Durham lost their seventh second-innings wicket in the 46th over.
However, captain Ned Eckersley played another innings of admirable obduracy, this time facing 134 balls for a deserved unbeaten 67.
However, he couldn’t shield the tail from the second new ball.
Matt Salisbury blocked back 55 balls on the third evening but lasted only eight more deliveries into the fourth morning.
Brett Hutton swung a ball away which started on middle and leg, beat Salisbury’s outside edge and had him plumb lbw on the back foot.
It completed a second five-wicket haul of the season for Hutton and he finished with 5-59.
Hutton and Ben Sanderson have proved a lethal new-ball combination since Hutton’s return to fitness and it was Sanderson who took the final wicket as Chris Rushworth poked a length ball to Ben Curran at point to record a 19-ball duck.
The margin of victory reflected Northants’ dominance of the game from the moment captain Adam Rossington launched a brutal assault on the first afternoon when his side was struggling at 150-8.
He now boasts an impressive record of five wins and three draws from eight matches since taking over from Alex Wakely in May.
A permanent appointment as captain surely awaits.
Rossington said: “It’s a great win. We’ve been outstanding with the ball all game and a few of us have chipped in with the bat on a wicket which was tough to bat on for most of the match.
“We found a way to score and almost batted them out of the game.
“Rich Levi and I were batting on day two and we knew the wicket was only going to get better to bat on.
“The ball got a bit softer so we wanted to just keep their bowlers out there and coming back for new spells. Richard played fantastically well, we got to a score and then Luke Procter took the game away from Durham.
“Then the bowlers did just what they’ve been doing all year - they keep running in and trucking away and they find a way to take wickets.”
Durham were left to reflect on a tame end to their promotion challenge, arriving in Northampton after going unbeaten in eight matches - and winning five of those games.
However, they were outplayed and captain Eckersley was the only batsman to show sufficient resistance against Northants’ probing attack.
“Our captain played very well even though we knew the end was nigh,” said Durham head coach James Franklin.
“Ned showed what quality he has as a performer and a leader and he can be really pleased with what he has achieved in this Championship year.”