Mac and Rush put Durham on top at Riverside

TOM Mackintosh scored a maiden first-class half century to lead a Durham fightback against Derbyshire on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two contest at Seat Unique Riverside.

The hosts were reduced for 142 for seven in their first innings amid fine bowling from Toby Pettman, who claimed figures of three for 40 to race through the Durham batting order.

However, Mackintosh led the way with 51 as he and tail provided 154 for the final three wickets. Chris Rushworth, Ben Raine and Stanley McAlindon offered usual cameos to propel the North East outfit into a narrow lead.

There was time for Rushworth to make inroads into the Derbyshire ranks before the close, leaving the visitors 19 for two at stumps, six runs ahead of the home side heading into day three of the contest.

Derbyshire were on their mettle from the off with the ball to make immediate inroads into the Durham line-up. Ben Aitchison dismissed England opener Alex Lees on his return to the county ranks lbw for only seven, which sparked an earlymorning collapse.

Pettman was on the money with his line and length to produce a snorter to remove nightwatchman Matt Salisbury before Durham skipper Scott Borthwick left a straight delivery to lose his off-stump for 13.

Sam Conners got in on the act to prise out Michael Jones, who played a loose drive to a wide ball and was snagged by Aitchison at first slip, reducing the hosts to 38 for four.

David Bedingham found his feet at the crease and looked fluent. The South African combined with debutant Nic Maddinson to steady the ship with a stand of 68 for the fifth wicket.

However, the Durham innings followed the same pattern as Derbyshire’s as the two set batters were dismissed quickly after lunch.

Both Bedingham and Maddinson fell in the same manner, being caught down the leg-side by Brooke Guest off Aitchison and Pettman respectively.

Liam Trevaskis opted for an aggressive approach to dig Durham out of trouble, blasting off-spinner Alex Thomson for four and a six over his head, but a third attempt cost him his wicket for 30.

Mackintosh and Raine stabilised the Durham innings and pushed the score beyond 200 to secure the hosts’ first batting point. Raine looked well set at the crease to record another knock of 50-plus, but his aggression against Thomson resulted in a simple catch for Wayne Madsen.

Mackintosh was not deterred by Raine’s departure and displayed maturity beyond his years by grinding out his maiden first-class halfcentury before being bowled by Conners for 51.

Rushworth and McAlindon defied the Derbyshire attack to add 51 for the final wicket, with the number 11 producing an aggressive knock of 33 from 27 balls to steer the hosts into an unlikely 13-run lead.

And Rushworth used the momentum from his batting display to make two strikes into the visitors’ line-up, with captain Billy Godleman and nightwatchman Conners both caught behind by Mackintosh.