Durham celebrate first victory as they win with day to spare

DURHAM are celebrating their first Vitality County Championship victory of the season after defeating Worcestershire by 185 runs with a day to spare at Kidderminster.

Worcestershire were set a demanding 458 target but any realistic hopes of victory were broken by Paul Coughlin’s initial three-wicket burst.

Matthew Potts pressed home the advantage and, with half the side dismissed for 121 in only 28 overs, the contest was effectively decided despite late resistance from Nathan Smith and Matthew Waite.

Durham were convincing winners of the battle of last season’s two promoted sides.

Their attack of Ben Raine, Potts and Coughlin showed their quality throughout after a wash-out of the opening game versus Hampshire and playing on a batters’ paradise with a Kookaburra ball at Edgbaston.

Durham resumed on 319-5 and Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark plundered 78 off 13 overs to set up the declaration after 50 minutes of play. The fourth-wicket partnership was worth an unbroken 132 in 28.1 overs. Worcestershire openers Gareth Roderick and Libby began confidently but then two wickets fell in two balls in the final over before lunch.

Roderick was bowled off the inside edge by Coughlin and then Brett D’oliveira clipped the next delivery straight to mid wicket to complete a pair.

Rob Jones provided Coughlin with a third wicket when caught at backward point, before Potts returned and immediately struck when Adam Hose pushed forward and was plumb lbw.

The procession of wickets continued as Jason Holder was bowled through the gate by Potts who then had Adam Hose lbw.

Jake Libby completed an 87-ball fifty but the next delivery ended his determined knock. He tried to pull out of a hook shot against Raine but only succeeded in lobbing up a gentle catch to mid wicket.

Smith and Waite shared a stand of 103 in 30 overs but Smith fell to Raine, Josh Baker was caught behind and Waite was eventually strangled down the leg side to give Coughlin a fourth scalp before Parkinson accounted for Adam Finch to wrap up proceedings.

■ Leus Du Plooy and Ryan Higgins steered Middlesex to a six-wicket victory over Vitality County

Championship Division Two favourites Yorkshire on an absorbing day three at Lord’s.

Hungarian citizen Du Plooy and the Zimbabwe-born Higgins, shared a match-winning stand of 59 just as the Seaxes were wobbling at 77-3 in pursuit of 158 to win in this low-scoring encounter.

Du Plooy fell eight short of 50 with victory in sight, but Higgins remained 33 not out when Stephen Eskinazi made the winning runs.

Ben Coad’s 2-20 led a spirited attempt by the visitors to defend the tally, but in the end they did not have enough on the board.

Yorkshire, who resumed on 216-7, were dismissed in the first 40 minutes of the day for 244.