Five-star show by Rushy - but hosts in charge
ADAM Rossington produced a murderous counter-attack to revive Northamptonshire on the opening day of their crucial Specsavers County Championship promotion clash with Durham at Wantage Road.
Asked to bat in bowling conditions which could nott have been better designed, Northants were listing at 150-8 after Chris Rushworth’s fourth five-wicket haul of the season before captain Rossington struck 60 in just 22 balls to rescue a batting point.
He was last out for 82 but pushed his side to 217.
Ben Sanderson then put Northants on top with three wickets as Durham slipped to 37-4 when bad light curtailed the day.
Rossington targeted the short legside boundary towards the Clark Road and shuffled across his stumps to slog-sweep seven sixes three of them in one over from Brydon Carse which went for 27 and four off Rushworth, including the biggest which brought up the batting point.
It was the perfect time for a captain’s innings and gave Northants something to bowl at, which looked unlikely when Rushworth ran through them after lunch.
Conditions were tailor-made for he and the Durham attack with a heavy grey cloud clinging over the ground and the floodlights the only reason play was possible.
Ned Eckersley could have declined the toss from the changing room. However, the visitors did not initially do justice to conditions and allowed Northants to reach 99-1 just after lunch.
However, Durham found a more consistent length and Rushworth’s first wicket began a severe slide of 7- for 51 in 21.1 overs.
He found the breakthrough with a delivery which jagged back sharply off the seam to pluck out Alex Wakely’s off stump as he perfectly-justifiably shouldered arms.
Two balls later Rob Keogh edged an away-swinger to fall for a second-ball duck after a match-winning innings last week.
Rushworth also nipped one through Ben Curran’s defences, Curran caught on the crease in losing his off stump for a battling 36.
After tea, Doug Bracewell was pinned by a nip-backer for one and the five-wicket haul was completed by one which bounced to take the shoulder of Brett Hutton’s bat to point.
Ben Raine also reached 50 wickets in a season for the second time with his 3-57, having Rob Newton caught at slip for 26, Luke Procter caught behind first ball after tea for eight and Gareth Berg bowled off his gloves as he tried to avoid another ball that bounced a little.
However, after Rossington’s brilliance gave his side a useful score, and momentum, the Northants bowlers made inroads much earlier then Durham managed.
Sanderson got one to straighten on Cameron Steel, who edged low to Hutton at third slip for seven and lured Alex Lees, on 15, into flicking across a full delivery to provide Alex Wakely with a catch at first slip.
A nip-backer then trapped Angus Robson lbw for nine.
Gareth Berg also produced a big inswinger which won a leg before decision against Championship debutant BJ Watling. The New Zealander
walked off for a third-ball duck as Northants ended the day much the stronger.
DARREN Stevens continued his bid for a new Kent contract with a remarkable career best 237 to help steer the visitors away from trouble at 39 for five on day one against Yorkshire at Headingley.
Kent’s top order, including South Africa captain Francois Du Plessis, was shattered by the pace of Duanne Olivier with the new ball at the start of this battle for third place in the Specsavers County Championship Division One.
A Test team-mate of Du Plessis up until the start of the year, Olivier struck four times in a seven-over burst, only for Kent to close on 482 for eight from 96 overs.
Forty-three-year-old Stevens and captain Sam Billings shared a stand of 346 inside 65 overs from midmorning to mid-evening to change the complexion of this fixture in record-breaking fashion, with 28 fours and nine sixes in 225 balls.