Killeen still hopeful of victory
ASSISTANT coach Neil Killeen lauded England batsman Alex Lees as his unbeaten century put Durham in charge of their County Championship fixture against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
The visitors reached 348 for three, a first innings lead of 114, and have put themselves in a position where they could push for a win, despite losing much of the first two days to bad weather.
Lees was well supported by captain Scott Borthwick who made 64 and David Bedingham who made a quickfire half-century as just three wickets fell on the third day of this match.
Durham will resume their first innings on the final day today and will need quick runs and quick wickets if they are to claim a positive result.
Lees, back with Durham after making his Test debut last month in the Caribbean, looked in excellent touch on his way to 163 not out.
“We will back our bowlers to have a good crack at it tomorrow and I think if we bowl the way we did yesterday we will have a good chance of forcing a really good finish,” assistant coach and former bowler Killeen said.
“For the guys to be out there and bat for a full three sessions has been a fantastic day, especially for Alex Lees who has batted through the entirety of it.
“I think we all know why he got the [England] call up and to put an innings out there today just cements how good a player he is.”
Lees took his guard outside off stump when the Glamorgan seamers came around the wicket and this neutralised much of their threat, although there were two very good shouts for lbw early in his innings that were turned down.
Michael Jones and Sean Dickson were both dismissed by Timm van der Gugten who bowled with decent pace and late movement.
The other Glamorgan seamers found success harder to come by and although there were times when Lees played and missed, edges were not found and appeals were not upheld.
With the short boundary on the Grandstand side of the ground and a quick outfield Glamorgan’s bowlers did a good job to keep things tight even with wickets hard to come by. The best chance for a further dismissal in the afternoon was when van der Gugten induced a leading edge from Borthwick that ballooned just over the head of Kiran Carlson in the covers.
Durham reached the tea interval at 163 for two with Lees and Borthwick both in control.
Lees reached his 18th first-class century from 226 balls, getting to the landmark with a lovely drive for four through wide mid-on off Callum Taylor.
Borthwick passed his fifty from 93 balls as he and Lees shared a stand worth 147 for the third wicket. It was the seventh bowler Glamorgan used, Andrew Salter, who got the breakthrough when Borthwick drove one into the hands of Sam Northeast at mid-wicket.
There was a changed of gears once Lees reached his hundred with the scoring rate ticking upwards, but it was when Bedingham came to the crease that the push for the win really started.
The South African continued his fantastic form for Western Provence in his first match of this season with Durham as he passed fifty from just 56 balls. He was on 74 from 78 balls at the close of day three in this game.
There are 104 overs scheduled today and the quick rate Durham put on their runs in the evening session has set up an interesting final day.