A Fair Result

A seriously under-strength Yorkshire can draw some satisfaction from taking the lion share of the points, after obtaining an honourable draw at Durham. In a bizarre game of two halves, 23 wickets fell on the first two days, but only ten wickets were claimed on the latter two. Whilst the depleted visitors bowled and then batted their way into a commanding and indeed match-winning position, Keaton Jennings turned the contest on its head and proceeded to lay the foundations for a potential Durham triumph on the final afternoon. However, the Tykes are becoming accustomed to batting out for a draw, and in the end comfortably did so, but not before a flurry of top order wickets had totally undermined our hot pursuit of the runs target.

Durham versus YORKSHIRE; at Chester-le-Street; Monday the 20th to Thursday the 23rd of June; YORKSHIRE elected to bowl first.

Durham first innings: 172 (Patterson 6-56)

YORKSHIRE first innings: 323 (Ballance 78, Lees 71, Bresnan 63; Rushworth 5-93)

Durham second innings: 507 for eight declared (Jennings 225*, Arshad 84, Collingwood 61)

YORKSHIRE second innings: 238 for five (Lees 74, Lyth 50)

Match drawn. Durham eight points, YORKSHIRE eleven points.

Lyth - Sixty-two runs in the match was satisfactory and he did dismiss Borthwick cheaply in their second innings, bowling fifteen overs at a cost of fifty-four runs.

Lees - Two good innings, full of attacking shots were just what he needed. Otherwise he gets bogged down, Compton-style. More of the same please, Alex.

Williamson - He never plays as well for Yorkshire as he does for his country. Scores of ten and a first ball duck are pitiful. He really irks me at times.

Ballance - Gary contributed 110 very useful runs. This is either a welcome return to form or an oasis in a desert of under-achievement this summer for him.

Gale - The captain succumbed to Ryan Pringle in each innings for mediocre scores of 28 and 17. I really think that he needs to 'consider his position.'

Leaning - Nine runs in the first innings was woefully inadequate again, but he atoned for this somewhat with a defiant unbeaten twenty-two in the final session.

Bresnan - The big man did wonders with bat and ball. His batting is a real boost to our middle order and he did his best to carry the inexperienced bowling attack.

Hodd - Three runs in the first innings was a poor effort from Andrew, but the glovesman slightly redeemed himself with two catches in each innings.

Shaw - Josh amassed 24 invaluable runs as a batsman, but his untidy bowling amounted to two wickets, costing 119 runs from 29 overs.

Patterson - SP recorded career-best figures in the first innings and bowled equally well second time around, conceding only 77 runs from 38 accurate overs.

Coad - His unbeaten batting stint of 17, including two successive boundaries, was commendable. However as a bowler Ben toiled, taking one wicket from 35 overs.