Durham skittled for just 103 by Tykes
YORKSHIRE enjoyed a strong start to their Bob Willis Trophy campaign as Andrew Gale’s side dismissed Durham for 103 before ending day one 84 for four at Emirates Riverside.
The home side won the toss and opted to bat first, but were put on the back foot by excellent bowling from the Yorkshire attack.
Ben Coad set the tone from the off and was on point throughout the Durham innings as he claimed figures of four for 23, while Jordan Thompson was equally impressive with three wickets of his own.
Gareth Harte was the only Durham batsman to offer a semblance of resistance, with an unbeaten innings of 33.
Tom Kohler-cadmore launched an onslaught against Chris Rushworth in the early stages of Yorkshire’s innings before he was dismissed nine short of a half-century.
Paul Coughlin held the visitors in check with two late strikes, but day one belonged to the Yorkshire.
Durham openers Alex Lees and Sean Dickson were given a tough spell to negotiate in overcast conditions. They reached 12 without before the rain came and prematurely ended the morning session after only 30 minutes.
Yorkshire began their assault after the restart – earning their rewards for a persistent line and length.
Lees was the first out, dismissed lbw for seven, undone by an in-swinging delivery from Fisher.
Dickson and Cameron Steel followed suit, edging behind to Jonny Tattersall from Coad and Thompson respectively.
David Beddingham, on his Durham debut, looked composed at the crease but the South African gave away his wicket, picking out Fisher at deep backward square-leg from a Thompson delivery.
Harte attempted to build momentum for the home side, striking a couple of boundaries to stem the tide.
Jack Burnham offered support, but Coad returned to clean bowl him through the gate.
Eckersley was trapped lbw before the tea break as his opposite number Steven Patterson claimed his first scalp of the innings.
Yorkshire maintained their relentless mood after tea and Thompson pinned Coughlin lbw for three.
Fisher kept the pressure on from the other end and he removed Ben Raine lbw when the left-hander opted to leave a swinging delivery. Matty Potts provided Harte with a partnership to help Durham edge their way to three figures but Coad broke the stand at 17 to dismiss Potts when Fisher took a low catch at square-leg. He removed Rushworth caught and bowled in the same over to end the home side’s innings in the 59th over of the day.
The visitors made a blistering start to their reply. Kohler-cadmore took the initiative against Rushworth, dispatching the veteran seamer for four boundaries in his opening two overs.
Rushworth was undeterred and found Adam
Lyth’s edge to make the breakthrough. Despite the loss of his opening partner, Kohlercadmore continued to find the fence, taking his score to
41.
Raine got the vital wicket for the hosts to stop his charge, clipping the top of the opener’s off-stump.
Coughlin provided a late surge when he pinned both Will Fraine and nightwatchman Patterson lbw.
Raine then saw a great lbw shout against Dawid Malan turned down as the visitors closed within 19 runs of the home side at stumps.
Durham’s Gareth Harte said: “Our struggles with the bat were due to a combination
We couldn’t put any partnerships together, which kept hurting us, and they kept us on the back foot
Gareth Harte
of good Yorkshire bowling and a lack of discipline playing straight with the bat. The lads came in with a lot of confidence after last week’s warm-up match, but Yorkshire bowled well and kept picking up wickets.
“We couldn’t put any partnerships together, which kept hurting us, and they kept us on the back foot. I wouldn’t say it was easy for me out there – it was a real battle. The pitch had a tennis ball bounce so I struggled to find the middle of the bat. The important thing for us is that we got four wickets tonight and the bowlers are doing what they always seem to do, bringing us back into the game. It’s a big morning for us tomorrow – let’s see how it goes.”