Colly eyes welcome first win
BARRY AND RUSHWORTH ON SONG WITH BAT AND BALL TO KEEP VISITORS IN CONTROL AWAY TO KENT
Skipper Paul Collingwood was thrilled by another good day for Durham against Kent at Canterbury yesterday.
After posting 448 in their first innings, the bottom-ofthe-table visitors reduced their hosts to 123-8 before they rallied to reach 2118 at the close on day two of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash.
Collingwood will hope to build on the promising start to secure a first win of the season.
He said: “We needed to take wickets with the new ball and we managed that.
“Hopefully we can nip out their last two wickets tomorrow and force home our advantage. We needed a couple of days like this and this performance could yet make the rest of our season.”
Collingwood made 120 in Durham’s innings, and the 41-year-old added: “I’d like to think this proves that age is just a number.
“I was delighted to get my ton because I’ve enjoyed playing here down the years.
“Then, the partnership between Rushy (Chris Rushworth) and Benny (Barry McCarthy) got us up to a score we’re really pleased with and I’m happy for Chris, who is really chuffed with a career-best 57.”
In explaining his ‘zimmer frame celebration’ upon reaching three figures, he said: “I just thought I’d have a bit of fun and pretend I’d got a zimmer frame out there.
“A lot of people go on about hindering you in sport, but I’m still enjoying the challenge of professional sport.”
Rookie pace bowler Barry McCarthy bagged his season’s best figures of 4-52 to blow away Kent’s top order and move Durham into the box seat at the mid-point of their Specsavers County Championship match in Canterbury.
Responding to Durham’s 448 all out – the visitors’ best total of the four-day campaign to date – promotionchasing Kent slid to 123-8 only to be salvaged by Sam Northeast’s unbeaten 97 that took his side in at stumps on 211-8 after 53 overs.
Northeast, the Kent skipper, combined with Yasir Shah (37 not out) to add an unbroken 88 through to the close, moving past Kent’s previous ninth-wicket record stand of 66, set by Min Patel and Mark Ealham at Tunbridge Wells in 2000, in the process. Yet the hosts still require another 88 runs on day three to be spared the humiliation of following on for the first time in 2017.
Having batted for more than four sessions, Durham set about taking six Kent wickets during a 90-minute purple patch that sent the hosts reeling in at tea on 726. All six wickets fell to bowling from the Nackington Road end and it was 24-yearold McCarthy who made the early inroads.
Starting his side’s firstinnings response at 2.34pm, Kent’s opening bat Sean Dickson (0) soon departed lbw, plum in front when working across the line against the Dubliner, then No3 Joe Denly under-edged an attempted pull through to the keeper.
England Lions batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond nicked into the cordon to give McCarthy 3-15 in his opening burst, after which the bustling Rushworth took over down the Nackington Road slope where he continued to give Kent the hurry-up.
Joe Weatherley (6) had his middle stump plucked out by a full delivery, Will Gidman (4) nicked to third slip, then Adam Rouse (8) followed in identical fashion, to another Ryan Pringle catch.
Kent’s demise continued after tea when Darren Stevens (14) aimed to late cut against Gavin Main only to pick out Graham Clark at backward point, then Matt Coles (2) steered one to slip to gift Rushworth a fourth wicket.
Durham, having resumed on 318-5 at the start of the day, battled hard to add a further 130 runs to bank a fourth batting bonus point.
Paul Collingwood posted his 34th first-class century, finally departing for a 208-ball 120 as Darren Stevens secured a five-fer, which included handing 18-yearold debutant Matthew Potts a fourth-ball duck when he followed an away-swinger to nick to the keeper.
Chris Rushworth’s 67-ball cameo of 57 and McCarthy (24) bolstered Durham for the ninth wicket.