Wickie Poynts to tough day ahead
STUART POYNTER has warned Durham victory is not yet in the bag - despite his side being in a commanding positon against county champions Essex.
Going into day three of the LV County Championship clash at Chelmsford, the hosts lead the Riversiders by just 45 runs with four second-innings wickets left.
Captain Scott Borthwick and seamer Brydon Carse took two wickets apiece for Durham to leave Essex facing a first County Championship defeat for almost three years.
They resumed today on 208-6 after Durham’s first innings ended yesterday on 259 - Poynter and paceman Matt Salisbury frustrating Essex with a club-record ninthwicket partnership of 94.
Wicket-keeper Poynter said after yesterday’s play: “It was a good morning for us.
“We were not looking too far ahead but as the innings went on batting bcame easier.
“We have to stick with what we were doing all day and hit the wicket hard and make sure the scoreboard is not moving too quickly.
“We are in a really good position against a really good team, definitely happier than yesterday, but there is still a lot of work to do.
“They are champions for a reason so we need to keep calm – there is still a lot to do.”
Leg spinner Borthwick, who had handed the visitors the advantage with a first-innings 100, claimed Ryan ten Doeschate and Adam Wheater in quick succession after Carse had broken a 103-run stand between half-century maker Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley.
Earlier, Poynton scored 52 not out, Salisbury recorded his highest firstclass score of 41 and Simon Harmer produced his 21st five-wicket haul for Essex as Durham boasted a 163run first-innings lead.
Essex’s nightmare first morning, where they slumped to 36-5, looked in danger of being replicated when Nick Browne was bowled by Rushworth and Alastair Cook chipped to midwicket.
However, from 19-2, Lawrence and Westley recovered with a sublime 103-run stand to drag Essex back towards equality.
Lawrence, who made his Test debut over the winter, looked supreme scoring 12 boundaries in his 76 - his fifty coming up in 93 balls, while Westley was more stoic in his scoring before he wafted outside his off stump to nick Carse to first slip to spark a flurry of wickets.
Carse added Lawrence to his victims as he picked out Will Young on the deep midwicket boundary.
Essex lost ten Doeschate with their lead on one –Borthwick taking a stunning return catch from a low full toss - before the captain found Wheater’s outside edge